A Manila Student

Rizal’s Ateneo Years

 A Manila Student:
Rizal’s Ateneo Years
• Ateneo Years (1872-1877)
1st year
2nd year
3rd year
4th year
5th year
• Education System of Jesuits
• Poems made in Ateneo
• Paintings and sculptures made in Ateneo
• The first love of Rizal
 Ateneo Years:
1872-1877
• June 1872- Jose was sent to Manila to study in
Ateneo
• Ateneo- Previously called Escuela Pia or Charity
School of Manila, founded in 1817. The
Government placed it in the supervision of Jesuits.
The name of the school became Ateneo Municipal
and then, Ateneo de Manila.
 Ateneo Years:
1872-1877
• Fr. Magin Fernando (Ferrando)- deterred him from
his matriculation because:
(1) He is late for registration and
(2) He appeared to be frail and sickly.

But through the aid of Manuel Xeres Burgos, he was

then accepted in Ateneo.
 Ateneo Years:
1872-1877
• Jose was the first to use the surname “Rizal”. This is
done to avoid any association to the martyred Fr.
Jose Burgos.
• He was an externo or a living-out student. He lived
in Caraballo St. Santa Cruz outside the walled city,
(which was 25 minutes away from his school) in a
house owned by a certain Titay ( an old un married
woman) who has a debt of p300 on the Mercado
Family..
 Education System of Jesuits:
• They give emphasis to rigid discipline, character
building, and religious instruction. They
established physical culture, humanities , and
scientific studies. They start and end classes with a
prayer and they hear masses every morning.
• They encouraged competition among the
students.
 Romans vs. Carthaginians
1. Emperor
2.Tribune
Romans 3. Decurion Carthaginians
4. Centurion
5. Bearer
• If the empire gets defeated the banner is moved to the left
side of the room. If they gets defeated again, it is moved to
the inferior position at the right side of the room. Upon the
third defeat the flag is inclined on the left side of the room.
On the fourth defeat, the flag is reversed on the right side.
On the fifth defeat it is placed on the left. On the sixth
defeat, the banner will be replaced by a donkey.
 1st Year of Rizal in Ateneo
(1872-1873)
• He heard mass on the first day of classes for
success and guidance. Then he went to class which
was composed of peninsular Spaniards, insulars,
mestizos, and natives.
• His having crude knowledge of Spanish was a
source of ridicule from his classmates.
• To improve his knowledge of Spanish, he took
private lessons in Santa Isabel College during
break time.
1st Year of Rizal in Ateneo)
(1872-1873

• After the end of the mouth, he became an

emperor of the Carthaginians.
• On the second half of his first year, Jose did not
try studying as hard as the previous semester. Yet
he placed second at the end of the year and his
grades remained excellent.
• Vacation 1873
 2nd Year of Rizal in Ateneo
(1873-1874)
• Jose regretted having neglected his studies at the
beginning of the semester but he regained the title
of emperor at the end of the second semester.
During this year he became a voracious reader. He
got interested in reading romantic novels. He
convinced his father to buy a whole set of Historia
Universal by Cesar Cantu, saying that it is a
required book in class.
 3rd Year of Rizal in Ateneo
(1874-1875)
• It was on the start of the classes when Rizal’s
mother came and told her about the good news
that she has been emancipated like what he
predicted.
• But even if his family was happy, Rizal didn’t show
excellence in class. He maintained good grades but
only got one medal in Latin.
 4th Year of Rizal in Ateneo
(1875-1876)
• On June 16, 1875, Rizal became an interno. Fr.
Francisco Paula de Sanchez.
 whom he described as a great educator and scholar, a model
of rectitude, a solicitude, and had a great devotion to the
student’s progress.
 Rizal became inspired to study harder and write poetry under
him.
 5th Year of Rizal in Ateneo
• Rizal became successful in Ateneo. He got the
highest grade in all subjects- Philosophy, Physics,
Biology, Chemistry, and Language.
 Poems written • The first poem that he
wrote in Ateneo was “ Mi
by Rizal Primera Inspiration”.
• Dona Teodora was the one
who first knew about Rizal’s
skill in poetry but Fr.
Sanchez was the one who
inspired him to use this gift
from god.
 Painting and • In Ateneo, he impressed
Jesuit professor by carving
Sculptures made the image of the Blessed
Virgin Mary on a piece of
in Ateneo Batikuling. Fr. Lleonart
asked him to carve the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
which he did in a few days.
 Rizal’s in Ateneo

In 1872, Rizal was sent by his parents to study

in Manila and so he did.
He entered Ateneo Municipal. As what
usually happens, Rizal was discriminated by his
classmates and professors, mainly because he
had only a little knowledge about Spain, and
also the fact that he was form Calamba,
Laguna. He was also a late enrollee, so that
added up to the situation.
 But inspite of the negative things that happened to
him during this time, he also experienced good things.
The Jesuits thought them about the educational system
like discipline, character building and religious
instruction. Because of that, he learned about the real
value of education in a person’s life, and of course, to be
strong despite of all the people who were trying to pull
him down. He also experienced and went through
hispanization, which made him a kind of better in
Spanish than using his own language-Filipino.
He wrote “To the Filipino Youth”. In his Poem, he
enlightened the readers about the truth-which Filipino
must be standing and being proud of what they are, and
not just be slaves of somebody else. He also mentioned
the famous quote that the youth is the hope of our
nation.
Lastly, he ended with a thanksgiving to god, and praise
to our country’s youth by saying that wherever he may be
going, he would always be proud of the Filipino youth.

Aside from the poem, he also wrote, “ The Intimate

Alliance Between Religion and Education”.