Chapter 4: Scholastic Triumphs at Ateneo de Manila (1872–1877)

1. When did Rizal enter Ateneo Municipal?

Answer: June 10, 1872, when he was almost 11 years old.

2. What important events happened before Rizal entered Ateneo?

Answer:

Martyrdom of GomBurZa (February 17, 1872)

His mother, Doña Teodora, was still imprisoned.

3. What was Ateneo Municipal before it became Ateneo?

Answer: It was formerly Escuela Pia (Charity School) established in 1817.

4. Who managed Ateneo Municipal?

Answer: The Spanish Jesuits, who returned to the Philippines in 1859.

5. Where was Ateneo located?

Answer: Intramuros, Manila.

How old Rizal when he entered Ateneo

11 years old

Who accompanied Rizal to Manila?

Paciano Rizal

Where did Rizal fiest take his entrance examination?

Colegio de San Juan de Letran

6. Why was Rizal almost denied admission?

Answer:

He registered late.

He was sickly and undersized for his age

Who refused Rizal to be admitted?

Fr. Magin Fernando

7. Who helped Rizal gain admission?

Answer: Manuel Xerez Burgos, nephew of Fr. Jose Burgos.

8. Why did Rizal use the surname "Rizal" instead of "Mercado"?

Answer: Because Mercado was already under suspicion by Spanish authorities due to Paciano's connection with Fr. Burgos.

9. Where did Rizal first stay in Manila?

Answer: At the boarding house of Titay on Caraballo Street.

Jesuit Education

10. What made Jesuit education different?

Answer:

Strict discipline

Religious instruction

Physical training

Humanities and sciences

Vocational courses

11. What were the two student groups?

Answer:

Roman Empire – internos (boarders)

Carthaginian Empire – externos (non-boarders)

12. What were the student ranks?

Answer:

1. Emperor

2. Tribune

3. Decurion

4. Centurion

5. Standard-bearer

How earn higher ranks?

Challenge and defeate higher ranking studennts

13. What colors represented each group?

Answer:

Romans – Red

Carthaginians – Blue

First Year (1872–1873)

14. Who was Rizal's first professor?

Answer: Fr. Jose Bech

15. Where was Rizal first placed?

Answer: At the bottom of the class because he knew little Spanish.

16. What happened after one month?

Answer: He became Emperor of his class.

17. What was Rizal's first prize?

Answer: A religious picture.

18. How did Rizal improve his Spanish?

Answer: By taking private lessons at Santa Isabel College during lunch breaks.

19. What rank did he finish his first year? How abt his grades

Answer: Second in class, although all his grades were Excellent.

Summer 1873

20. Why was Rizal unhappy during vacation?

Answer: His mother was still in prison.

21. Where did he secretly visit her?

Answer: Santa Cruz Provincial Jail.

Second Year (1873–1874)

22. What was Rizal determined to do?

Answer: Regain first place.

23. What honors did he receive?

Answer: Excellent grades and a Gold Medal.

Mother's Release (1874)

24. What prophecy did Rizal make?

Answer: His mother would be released in three months.

25. Was the prophecy fulfilled?

Answer: Yes.

Reading Habits

26. What was Rizal's favorite novel?

Answer: The Count of Monte Cristo

27. Who wrote it?

Answer: Alexandre Dumas

28. What historical book did Rizal ask his father to buy?

Answer: Universal History by Cesar Cantu

29. What travel book greatly influenced him? Who's Author?

Answer: Travels in the Philippines;

Dr. Feodor Jagor

30. What impressed Rizal in Jagor's book?

Answer:

Spanish colonial weaknesses.

Prediction that Spain would lose the Philippines and America would replace her.

Third Year (1874–1875)

31. What good news did Rizal receive?

Answer: His mother had been released from prison.

33. Why didn't he win Spanish?

Answer: His spoken Spanish lacked native fluency and accent.

Third year medal?

Latin Medal

Fourth Year (1875–1876)

34. When did Rizal become an interno?

Answer: June 16, 1875.

35. Who became Rizal's favorite professor?

Answer: Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez.

36. Why was Father Sanchez important?

Answer: He inspired Rizal to:

Study harder

Write poetry

Develop his literary talent

37. How many medals did Rizal win?

Answer: Five medals.

What they give Rizal in subjects?

Sobresaliente

Last Year (1876–1877)

38. How did Rizal perform academically?

Answer: He excelled in all subjects.

39. What nickname did Ateneo give Rizal?

Ans: “The Pride of the Jesuits“

40. When did Rizal graduate?

Answer: March 23, 1877.

41. How old was Rizal?

Answer: 16 years old.

42. What degree did he earn?

Answer: Bachelor of Arts with Highest Honors.

Extra-Curricular Activities

43. What religious organization did Rizal join?

Answer: Marian Congregation (later became secretary).

44. What academic organizations did he join?

Answer:

Academy of Spanish Literature

Academy of Natural Sciences

45. Who taught Rizal painting?

Answer: Agustin Saez.

46. Who taught Rizal sculpture?

Answer: Romualdo de Jesus.

47. What sports did Rizal practice?

Ans: Gymnastics; Fencing

Sculptural Works

48. What image did Rizal carve first?

Answer: The Virgin Mary on batikuling wood.

49. Who requested the Sacred Heart statue?

Answer: Father Lleonart.

50. Why is the Sacred Heart statue important?

Answer: It remained at Ateneo for many years and later became significant during Rizal's final hours at Fort Santiago.

Anecdotes

51. What happened during the book-throwing incident?

Answer: Rizal was hit in the face, bled, but never blamed or hated the student responsible.

52. What did Rizal do for Julio Meliza?

Answer: He climbed the Manila Cathedral tower to retrieve Julio's kite.

Poetry

53. Who first encouraged Rizal to write poems?

Answer: Doña Teodora.

54. Who further developed his poetic talent?

Answer: Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez.

55. What was Rizal's first known poem?

Answer: Mi Primera Inspiracion (My First Inspiration) dedicated to his mother. For her Birthday

56. What famous poem did Rizal write about education?

Answer: Through Education Our Motherland Receives Light.

57. What did Rizal teach in The Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education?

Answer: Education without religion is incomplete.

58. Name Rizal's religious poems.

Answer:

To the Child Jesus

To the Virgin Mary

Drama

59. What was Rizal's first drama?

Answer: San Eustacio, Martir (St. Eustace the Martyr).

60. Who requested him to write it?

Answer: Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez.

61. When did he finish it?

Answer: June 2, 1876.

Poem for Calamba

Un Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo

Poem praising Columbus

El Heroismo de Colón.

Last Ateneo Poem?

Un Diàlogo Alusivo a la Despidida de los Colegiales

First Romance

62. Who was Rizal's first love?

Answer: Segunda Katigbak.

63. How old was Segunda?

Answer: 14 years old.

Jose Rizal Age then?

16 yrs old

Who introduced Segunda Katigbak to Jose Rizal?

Mariano Katigbak (Brother of Segunda Katigbak)

64. Where did Rizal first meet her?

Answer: At his grandmother's house in Trozo, Manila.

66. What portrait did Rizal make of Segunda?

Answer: A pencil sketch.

65. Why was their love impossible?

Answer: Segunda was already engaged to Manuel Luz.

67. Why did Rizal lose Segunda?

Answer: Because of his shyness and reserve.

68. When did they say goodbye?

Answer: December 1877, before Christmas vacation. {She waved from carriage; Rizal remained silent.}

69. What happened after?

Answer: Segunda married Manuel Luz, ending Rizal's first love.