Rizal attended Ateneo Municipal in Manila from 1872-1877. He excelled academically, becoming the "Emperor" or top student in his class multiple years. He was inspired by Jesuit professors like Father Sanchez to work hard and pursue his studies. Rizal engaged in many extracurricular activities like writing poetry, painting, and sculpture. He experienced his first romance at age 16 with Segunda Katigbak. Rizal graduated with highest honors from Ateneo at age 16, having triumphed scholastically.

1. CHAPTER 4
SCHOLASTIC
TRIUMPHS AT ATENEO
DE MANILA
(1872-1877)

2. SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS AT
ATENEO DE MANILA
Four months after the Martyrdom
of Gom-bur-za and with Dona
Teodora still in prison, Jose,
who had not yet celebrated his
eleventh birthday, was sent to

3. ATENEO MUNICIPAL
A college under the supervision of the
Spanish Jesuits
A school where Rizal studied.
This college 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.

4. • Jesuits – who had been expelled from the
philippines in 1768, returned to Manila in
1859, they 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- Rizal accompanied by
Paciano, went to Manila.
• He took the entrance examinations on
Christian doctrine, arithmetic and reading
at the College of San Juan de Letran and
passed them.

5. His father, who first wished him to study at
Letran , changed his mind and decided to
send him to Ateneo instead.
Father Magin Ferrando – who was the college
registrar in Ateneo Municipal that refused to
admit Rizal because of the Two Reasons;
He was late for Registration
He was sickly and undersized for his aged
Rizal was then eleven years old.
Manuel Xerez Burgos- nephew of Father Burgos
and
because of his intercession, Rizal was
reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo.

6. Jesuit System of Education.
The system of Education given by the Jesuits in the
Ateneo was more Advanced than the other colleges.
It trained the character of the student by rigid
discipline and religious instruction. It promoted
physical culture, humanities and scientific studies.
The students heard Mass in the morning before the
beginning of the daily class. Classes in every subject
were opened and closed with prayers.
Students were divided into two groups,
namely:
 Roman Empire – internos ( boarders)
 Carthaginian Empire – externos ( non- boarders)

7. Each of these Empires had it’s ranks.
 Emperor- Best student
Tribune
Decurion
Centurion
Standard-bearer
Within the empire, the students fought for positions.
Any student could challenge any officer in his Empire to
answer questions on the days lesson. His opponent
could lose his position if he committed three mistakes.
Hemp-fabric trousers and striped cotton coat (
rayadillo) – ateneo sudents uniform which later became
famous. It was asopted as the uniform for Filipino
troops during the days of the first philippine republic.

8. Rizal’s First year in Ateneo. (1872- 1873)
June 1872- his first day of school.
Fr. Jose Bech – his first professor whom he
described as a tall, thin man, with a body
slightly bent forward, a harried walk, an
ascetic face, severe and inspired, small
deep- sunken eyes, sharp nose that was
almost Greek, and thin lips forming an arc
whose ends fell toward the chin.
• Being a newcomer and knowing little
Spanish. Rizal was placed at the bottom of
the class. He was an Extern, hence he was
assigned to the carthaginians, occupying
the end of the line. At the end of the month

9. Summer Vacation (1873)
March 1873- Rizal returned to Calamba
for summer vacation that he did not
particularly enjoy because his mother
was in prison. To cheer him up. His
sister neneng ( saturnina) brought him
to tanawan. Without telling to his father,
he went to santa cruz and visited his
mother in prison. He told her his
brilliant grades at the Ateneo.
When the summer vacation ended,
Rizal returned to manila for his second
year term in the Ateneo.

10. 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. So to regain his lost
class leadership, he studied harder.
Once more he became “Emperor”.
At the end of the school year, Rizal
received excellent grades in all
subjects and a gold medal. With such
scholastic honors, he triumphantly
returned to calamba in March 1874 for
the summer vacation.

11. Teenage Interest in Reading
It was summer vacation in 1874 in
Calamba when Rizal began to take
interest in reading romantic novels. As
a normal teenager, he became
interested in love stories and romantic
tales.
The count of Monte Cristo by Alexander
Dumas- His first favorite novel. A
thrilling novel that made a deep
impression on him.
As a vocacious reader, he read not only

12. Third Year in Ateneo (1874-1875)
Despite the Family Happiness because of
his mother whose released from prison,
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.
At the end of the school year ( March
1875) rizal returned to calamba for the
summer vacation . He himself was not

13. Fourth Year in Ateneo. (1875-1876)
June 16, 1875 – he became an interno in the
Ateneo.
Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez – one of
Rizal’s professors and a great educator
and scholar. The one who inspired Rizal
to study harder and to write poetry. He is
also the best professor considered by
Rizal.
Inspied by Father Sanchez, Rizal resumed
his studies with vigor and zest. He topped
all his classmates in all subjects and won
five medals at the end of the school term.

14. Last Year in Ateneo. (1876-1877)
His Studies continued to fare well. As a
matter of fact, he excelled in all subjects.
The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he
was truly “ the Pride of the Jesuits”.
Rizal finished his last year at the Ateneo in a
blaze of glory. He obtained the highest
grades in all subjects – philosophy,
physics, biology, chemistry, languages,
mineralogy, etc.
On Commencement day, March 23,1877,
Rizal who was 16 years old, received from
his Alma Mater , Ateneo Municipal, the
degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest
honors.

15. Extra- Curricular Activities in
Ateneo.
An Emperor inside the classroom.
He was a campus leader outside.
He was an active member,later secretary,
of a religious society, the Marian
Congregation.
A Member of the Academy of Spanish
Literature and the Academy of Natural
Sciences.
Rizal cultivated his literary talent under
the guidance of Father Sanchez

16. Father Jose Vilaclara – another professor
who give advised to Rizal to stop
communing with the Muses and pay
more attention to more practical
studies such as phylosophy and
natural sciences.
Aside from writing poetry, he devoted his
spare time to fine arts . He studied
painting under the famous Spanish
Painter, Agustin Saez, and sculpture
under Romualdo de Jesus, noted
filipino sculptor. Both art masters
honored him with their affection , for he

17. Sculptural Works in Ateneo.
Rizal impressed his Jesuit professors in
the Ateneo with his artistic skill. One
day he carved an image of the Virgin
Mary on a piece of batikuling (
philippine hardwood) with his pocket-
knife. The Jesuit were amazed at the
beauty and grace of the image.
Father Lleonart – one of the Jesuit that
impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent
and the one who requested to carve an
image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

18. Poems Written in Ateneo.
Mi Primera Inspiracion ( My First Inspiration)-
the first poem Rizal probably wrote which
was dedicated to his mother on her birthday.
It is said that he wroteit before he was 14
years old that is in the year 1874.
Before this year he did not write poetry
because there was gloom in his heart owing
to his mother’s imprisonment. Upon the
release of his mother in 1874 , his poetic
heart began to sing with ecstacy and joy.
He wrote more poems . One of the poems he
wrote is “Through Education our Motherland
Receives light”. Rizal’s Poems on Education,
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.

19. First Romance of Rizal
Rizal experienced his firt romance when he
was sixteen years old.
Segunda Katigbak – a pretty fourteen- year old
Batanguena from Lipa. In Rizal’s own words
: “ she was rather short , with eyes that were
eloquentand ardent at times and languid at
others, rosy-cheeked, with an enchanting
and provocative smile that revealed very
beautiful teeth, and the air of a sylph; her
entire self diffused a mysterious charm.”
- a sister of his friend Mariano Katigbak
- a close friend of his sister Olimpia
- engaged to Manuel Luz
- the first girl whom Rizal loved with
ardent fervor, was lost to him forever because
Segunda returned to Lipa and later Married to