Jose Rizal – Scholastic Triumphs in the Ateneo (1872-1877)

A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards summarizing key people, events, practices, and achievements from Jose Rizal’s student life at Ateneo de Manila (1872-1877).

Escuela Pia, a charity school for poor boys in Manila.

What was Ateneo Municipal originally called when it was founded in 1817?

The Spanish Jesuits.

Which religious order supervised Ateneo Municipal?

San Juan de Letran College.

Which Dominican-owned college was Ateneo’s main rival?

June 10, 1872.

On what date did Jose Rizal first travel to Manila to take college entrance examinations?

College of San Juan de Letran.

At which school did Rizal pass the entrance exam but ultimately decide not to enroll?

Father Magin Ferrando, because Rizal was late for registration and was sickly/undersized for his age.

Who initially refused Rizal’s admission to Ateneo and for what two reasons?

Manuel Xerez Burgos (nephew of Father Burgos).

Who intervened to secure Rizal’s admission to Ateneo?

Rizal (instead of Mercado).

Which surname did Jose use at Ateneo to avoid suspicion by Spanish authorities?

Inside Intramuros, the walled city of Manila.

Where was Ateneo Municipal located during Rizal’s time?

Titay, to whom Rizal’s family owed about ₱300.

Who owned the first boarding house where Rizal stayed on Caraballo Street?

It combined rigid character training and religious instruction with emphasis on physical culture, humanities, and scientific studies. (Any similar reason from the list is acceptable.)

Give one reason the Jesuit system of education was considered advanced.

Roman Empire (internos/boarders) – red flag; Carthaginian Empire (externos/non-boarders) – blue flag.

Name the two student ‘empires’ in Ateneo and the color of each flag.

Emperor.

What was the highest student rank in each empire at Ateneo?

Rayadillo – hemp-fabric trousers and striped cotton coat.

What term described Ateneo’s official student uniform in Rizal’s day?

Father Jose Bech.

Who was Rizal’s first teacher at Ateneo?

The Carthaginian Empire, at the end of the line (because he was an externo).

To which empire and position in line was the newcomer Rizal first assigned?

Religious pictures.

What prize did Rizal receive after becoming the brightest pupil in his class during his first month?

At Santa Isabel College for ₱3.00 during the noon recess.

Where did Rizal take private Spanish lessons, and how much did he pay?

In the house of Doña Pepay at No. 6 Magallanes Street.

During his second school year, where did Rizal board inside Intramuros?

His mother Doña Teodora’s dream, which he interpreted to mean she would soon be released from prison—she was freed three months later.

Which dream did Rizal interpret, earning comparison with St. Joseph?

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (other acceptable answers: Universal History by Cesar Cantú, Travels in the Philippines by Feodor Jagor).

Name one of Rizal’s favorite novels during his teenage reading phase.

Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez.

Who became Rizal’s favorite professor and inspired him to write poetry?

Five medals.

How many medals did Rizal win during his fourth year (1875-76) in Ateneo?

Age 16, on March 23, 1877.

At what age and on what date did Rizal receive the Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honors?

The Marian Congregation.

What campus religious society did Rizal serve as secretary?

Father Jose Vilaclara.

Which priest advised Rizal to focus on practical studies such as Philosophy and Natural Sciences?

Agustin Saez, a famous Spanish painter.

Under whom did Rizal study painting?

Romualdo de Jesus, a Filipino sculptor.

Who taught Rizal sculpture at Ateneo?

Batikuling.

From what Philippine hardwood did Rizal carve an image of the Virgin Mary?

Father Lleonart.

Which Jesuit requested Rizal to carve an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

His resignation to pain and readiness to forgive.

What moral qualities did Felix M. Roxas’s anecdote highlight in young Rizal?

His willingness to help the helpless even at personal risk.

What trait did the anecdote told by Manuel Xerez Burgos illustrate about Rizal?

"Mi Primera Inspiración" (My First Inspiration), dedicated to his mother, Doña Teodora, on her birthday.

What was the title of Rizal’s first poem, and to whom was it dedicated?

"Felicitación" (other acceptable 1875 poems include "El Embarque," "Himno a la Flota de Magallanes," etc.).

Name one poem Rizal wrote in 1875 under Father Sanchez’s inspiration.

"Through Education Our Motherland Receives Light" (other acceptable answer: "The Intimate Alliance between Religion and Good Education").

Give one of Rizal’s two famous poems on education.

"Al Niño Jesús" (other acceptable answer: "A la Virgen María").

Name one of the poems Rizal wrote on religion while at Ateneo.

Segunda Katigbak, who was 14 years old.

Who was Rizal’s first romantic interest, and how old was she when they met?

La Concordia College.

At which college did Segunda Katigbak and Rizal’s sister Olimpia study?

Mariano Katigbak.

What was the name of Segunda Katigbak’s brother, who was also Rizal’s friend?

Segunda Katigbak was already engaged to Manuel Luz.

Why did Rizal’s first romance end in disappointment?

Gymnastics and fencing.

What physical activities did Rizal practice as part of his extracurricular life?

Any two of the following: Philosophy, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Languages, etc.

List at least two academic subjects in which Rizal obtained the highest grades during his final year.

Emperor.

By what title was Rizal known within his student empire because of his top academic standing?

Agriculture (other acceptable answers: commerce, mechanics, surveying).

What was one vocational course offered by Ateneo in Rizal’s time besides the academic B.A.?

Rigid discipline combined with daily religious instruction.

State one feature of the Jesuit character-training method practiced at Ateneo.