CHAPTER 1

Advent of a National Hero

Jose Rizal, the Philippines' national hero and pride of the Malayan race, was
born in the town of Calamba, Laguna, on June 19, 1861. He was the seventh of
eleven children in his family (2 boys and 9 girls). Both of his parents were well-
educated and came from well-known families. His father, Francisco Mercado
Rizal, was born in Biñan, Laguna, and was described by Rizal as "a model of
fathers." His mother, Teodora Alonzo y Quintos, was born in Meisic, Sta. Cruz,
Manila, and was described by Rizal as "a caring and prudent mother."
He learned the alphabet from his mother when he was three years old, and
when learning to read and write at the age of five, he already showed signs of
wanting to be an artist. His pencil drawings and sketches, as well as his clay
moldings, astounded his family and friends. He wrote "Sa Aking Mga Kabata," a
Tagalog poem about the love of one's language, when he was eight years old. At
the age of 16, he graduated from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila with a Bachelor
of Arts degree and a "excellent" average. In the same year, he began studies in
Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas, while also pursuing
surveyor and expert assessor courses at the Ateneo. He completed the latter
course on March 21, 1877, and passed the Surveyor's examination on May 21,
1878, but he was not given a license to practice the profession until December 30,
1881, due to his age, which was 17. In 1878, he enrolled at the University of Santo
Tomas to study medicine, but he had to drop out because he felt his Dominican
tutors were discriminatory against Filipino students.
 CHAPTER 2
Childhood Years in Calamba
Jose Rizal, like many Filipino people, had many fond childhood memories.
His was a peaceful home, full of parental love, imbued with family happiness, and
sanctified by prayers. He spent his early years of childhood in the midst of a
peaceful, refined, God-fearing family. Calamba's natural beauty captivated him as
a child, and it had a profound effect on his mind and character. The best time of
his life was definitely his childhood in his hometown.
“Craddle of a Genius,” by Calamba. Calamba is set on a green plain next to
the rippling Laguna de Bay. The famous Mt. Makiling looms a few kilometers to
the south, and beyond it lies the coffee-producing Batangas. The Laguna de Bay,
“a lake of poetry and songs,” lies north of town, with many sailboats gliding by
the sleepy Talim Island and a multitude of birds soaring through the azure skies.
Antipolo, the famous mountain shrine of the miraculous Lady of Peace and Good
Voyage, is located beyond the lake in the far north.
Calamba, with its lush rice and sugarcane fields, evergreen meadows of
numerous fruit trees and bananas, singing birds abounding in lake, river, and
fields, starry nights "complete with the poetry of sorrow," lovely sunrises over
lake and mountains, and charming panoramic views, is an ideal place to raise a
child. As a result, it gained the nickname "cradle of a genius." Rizal adored
Calamba with all of his heart. He recalled his beloved town in 1876, when he was
15 years old and a student at Ateneo. As a result, he composed the poem Un
Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo (In Memory of My Town).
 CHAPTER 3
Early Education in Calamba and Biñan
Rizal received his early education in the towns of Calamba and Biñan. It was
a standard schooling for a son of an ilustrado family at the time, with the four R's
(reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion) dominating the curriculum. The
guidelines were strict and rigid. The tedious memory process, aided by the
teacher's whip, was used to drive information into the pupils' minds. Despite the
shortcomings in the Spanish system of elementary education, Rizal was able to
receive the requisite education in Manila to prepare for college. Rizal, who was
born a physically weakling, grew to become an intellectual giant not because of,
but rather in spite of, the outmoded and backward method of instruction that
existed in the Philippines during the Spanish regime's final decades.

The Hero’s First Teacher

Rizal's mother, a beautiful woman of good character and fine culture, was his first
teacher. He learned the alphabet and prayers on her lap when he was three years old. "My
mother taught me how to read and tell haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to
Heaven," Rizal wrote in his student memoirs.

Doña Teodora was polite, attentive, and understanding as a teacher. She was the one
who first recognized her son's talent for poetry. She inspired him to compose poetry as a result.
She told several stories to break up the monotony of memorizing the ABCs and to stimulate her
son's imagination.
Jose's parents paid private tutors to teach him at home as he grew older. Maestro
Celestino was the first, and Maestro Lucas Padua was the second. Later, the boy was tutored by
an elderly man named Leon Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal's father. Jose was taught
Spanish and Latin by this old teacher who stayed at the Rizal building. Regrettably, he did not
have a long life. Five months later, he passed away.
Following the death of a Monroy, the hero's parents agreed to enroll their gifted son in a
private school in Biñan.
 CHAPTER 4
Scholastic Triumphs at Ateneo de Manila (1872-1877)
The city government founded Escuela Pia (Charity School) in 1817 as a
school for poor boys in Manila. The Ateneo de Manila's first name is Escuela Pia.
The Ateneo has gained a reputation as a top-notch boys' college.
Rizal is admitted to the Ateneo de Manila on June 10, 1872 by Father Magin
Ferrando, the college registrar at the time.
Jesuit Education System – The Jesuit education system at the Ateneo was
more advanced than that of other colleges at the time.

Two Groups in Ateneo

1. Internos – the Roman Empire (boarders). The color of their banner is red.
2. Externos: The Carthaginian Kingdom (non-boarders). Their banners are blue in
color.
Rizal's First Year at the Ateneo (1872-1873) – On his first day of classes at
the Ateneo in June 1872, Rizal attended mass at the college chapel for the first
time and prayed fervently to God for guidance and progress.
Rizal's first professor at the Ateneo was Father Jose Bech.
Summer Vacation (1873) – At the end of the school year in March 1873,
Rizal returns to Calamba for his summer vacation. He did not enjoy his break since
his mother was incarcerated.
Rizal's Second Year at the Ateneo (1873-1874) – During his second year at
the Ateneo, nothing remarkable happened to him, except that he repented for
neglecting his studies the previous year simply because he was offended by the
teacher's remarks.
Mother's Release Prophecy – Rizal wasted no time in flying to Santa Cruz to
see his mother, who was incarcerated in the provincial jail. With news of his
academic triumphs at Ateneo and humorous stories about his professors and
fellow students, he cheered up Dona Teodora's lonely heart
 Chapter 5
Medical Studies at University of Santo Tomas (1887-1882)
Rizal had to go to the University of Santo Tomas for higher studies after
graduating with honors from Ateneo, since the Bachelor of Arts course during
Spanish times was only equal to high school and junior college courses today.
Rizal's father and brother wanted him to get a better education, so they enrolled
him at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philosophy and Letters course that his
father had chosen for him. Rizal, on the other hand, was uninterested in the
course and instead chose to follow medicine as a result of his adviser, Father
Pablo Ramon (Rector of Ateneo), who was also interested in being able to cure his
mother's growing blindness.
Rizal had plenty of time for love amid his undergraduate studies at the
University of Santo Tomas and extracurricular activities at the Ateneo. He was a
romantic fantasist, and his tragic first love encounter had made him wiser in the
ways of romance. Shortly after the Second Katigbak, he courted a young woman
in Calamba whom he dubbed "Miss L." Several months later, during his
sophomore year at the University of Santo Tomas, he boarded in the house of
Dona Concha Leyva in Intramuros, which was next door to the family of Leonor
Valenzuela, whom he soon courted, and Rizal gave Leonor Valenzuela the
nickname ".
 Chapter 6
In Sunny Spain
To avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars, Rizal's departure for
Spain was kept a secret. Rizal used the name Jose Mercado; he was a cousin from
Bian. On May 3, 1882, Rizal boarded the Spanish streamer Salvadora bound for
Singapore.

Departure for Spain

 To prevent detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars, Rizal's
departure was kept secret.
 Kind Jesuit priests sent letters of recommendation to members of their
Community in Barcelona.
 Rizal embarked the Salvadora on May 3, 1882, with the following itinerary:
Manila – Singapore – Colombo – Suez Canal – Naples and Marseiles –
Barcelona
 Uncle Antonio Rivera, Paciano, and his sisters, as well as a few close
relatives, were the only ones who knew about his departure.
 Saturnina gave him a diamond ring, and Paciano gave him P700.
 Paciano promised a monthly allowance of P35 via Uncle Antonio.
 Rizal used the name Jose Mercado on his passport.
 Chapter 7
Paris to Berlin (1885-1887)

Rizal went to Paris and Germany to study ophthalmology, which he chose

because he wanted to help his mother with an eye problem.
In Paris, Heidelberg, Leipzig, and Berlin, he continued his travels and
observations of European life and customs, government, and laws.
IN GAY PARIS (1885-1886), Rizal's friend Maximo Viola, a medical student
from San Miguel, Bulacan, and a member of a wealthy family. Seor Eusebio
Corominas, the publisher of the newspaper La Publicidad, drew a crayon
sketch of Don Miguel Morayta, the newspaper's owner and a stasman. Rizal
sent Editor Corominas an article for publication on the Carolines Subject,
which was a contentious topic at the time.
Rizal spent November 1885 in Paris, where he lived for about four months.
 Chapter 8
Noli MeTanghere Published in Berlin (1887)
Rizal's worst winter was the bleak winter of 1886 in Berlin, when no money from
Calamba came and he was broke. Saturnina, his niece, had given him a diamond
ring, which he had to pawn. It was a memorable episode in Rizal's life for two
reasons:
1) he was starving, sick, and despondent in a foreign place, and  it was a traumatic
episode for him.
2) It gave him great joy after so many hardships since his first book, Noli Me
Tangere, was published in March of 1887. Dr. Rizal was inspired by Harriet
Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin to write a novel about his people's misery at
the hands of Spanish tyrants.
Rizal suggested the writing of a novel about the Philippines by a group of Filipinos
at a meeting of Filipinos in the Paterno residence in Madrid on January 2, 1884.
Rizal started writing the novel in Madrid at the end of 1884 and completed about
half of it.
 Chapter 9
Rizal’s Grand Tour of Europe with viola (1887)

Following the publication of Noli, Rizal decided to travel across Europe. Dr.
Maximo Viola decided to accompany him on his journey. Rizal got Paciano's
remittance of P1000, which was forwarded by Juan Luna from Paris, and
immediately paid his debt to Viola, who had lent money to print the Noli. He and
Viola began their journey in Potsdam, a city near Berlin.

The Journey Begins

Rizal and Viola, two browned-skinned doctors on a wandering spree, left Berlin by
train on May 11, 1887. Spring was an excellent time to ride. Their final destination
was Dresden, one of Germany's most beautiful towns.

Dresden is a city in Germany.

Rizal and Viola remained in Dresden for a while. Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, who was
overjoyed to see them, was pleased. Rizal was highly fascinated by the image of
Prometheus Bound in the Museum of Art. They also met Dr. Jagor and talked
about their plan to see Blumentritt via Leitmeritz. He suggests that they contact
Blumentritt because the old professor may be surprised by their visit.

Blumentritt's First Meeting

The train arrived at the Leitmeritz railroad station at 1:30 p.m. on May 15, 1887.
Professor Blumentritt arrived at the station with a pencil drawing of Rizal, which
he had sent to help identify his friend. Blumentritt rented a room at Hotel Krebs,
then bought them and moved them to his house in Leitmeritz from May 13 to 14,
1887.
 Chapter 10
First Homecoming (1887-1888)

HOMECOMING FOR THE FIRST TIME 1887-1888-Decision to move to the United

States. Because of the uproar created by the publication of the Noli Me Tangere
among the friars. Paciano forewarned Rizal (his brother). Not to return home
with Silvestre Ubaldo (his brother-in-law), Chengoy (Jose M. Cecilio), and other
relatives. He, on the other hand, did not heed their warning. He was adamant
about returning to the Philippines for two reasons:
1) to operate on his mother's eyes, and
2) to help his people, who had long been oppressed by Spanish tyrants.
3) to learn how the Noli and his other works affected Filipinos and Spaniards in
the Philippines;
4) to find out why Leonora Rivera was deafeningly quiet.

A Wonderful Trip to Manila Rizal took the train from Rome to Marseilles. He
boarded the Djemnah, a streamer. He arrived in Europe five years ago on the
same steamer. There were approximately 50 passengers on board, including four
Englishmen, two Germans, three Chinese, two Japanese, a number of
Frenchmen, and one Filipino (Rizal). On July 30, he moved to the Haiphong, a
Manila-bound steamer.

-Departure from Manila

The Haiphong arrived in Manila on August 5. He just lived in the city for a few
days. He returned to Manila to find it just as he had left it five years before.

Greetings from your new home! He returned to Calamba on August 8. His family
embraced him warmly, crying several tears of joy. His family started to be
concerned for his safety. Paciano did not abandon him in the event of an enemy
assault. His mother was his first patient when he opened a medical clinic in
Calamba. Since her cataracts had not yet matured, he was unable to perform any
surgical procedures. Calamba was overwhelmed with patients from Manila and
other provinces. Rizal's professional fees were fair, earning him the nickname
"Dr. Ulman."
 Chapter 11
In Honkong and Macao

The Hong Kong Journey Rizal left Manila for Hong Kong on board
the Zafiro on February 3, 1888, after a brief stay of six months in his
beloved Calamba. During the choppy China Sea crossing, he was
sick and sad. On February 7, he did not disembark from his ship
during a brief stopover at Amoy. Rizal set sail from Hong Kong
aboard the Oceanic, an American steamer, on February 22, 1888.
His destination was Japan, and although he hated the ship's meals,
he enjoyed how clean and well-run it was.
 Chapter 12
Romantic Interlude in Japan

Rizal's Arrival
Rizal is a province in the Philippines. Yokohama was the first stop.
He checked in at the Grand Hotel. Then he went to Tokyo and
stayed at the Tokyo Hotel. Juan Perez Caballero, secretary of the
Spanish Legation, paid him a visit at the Tokyo Hotel. Rizal, being a
wise man, knew that the Spanish diplomatic authorities had been
given orders to keep an eye on him. Since he had nothing to hide
from them, he accepted the invitation. Rizal moved out of the Tokyo
Hotel on March 7 and into the Spanish Legation. Perez and he
became fast friends.
Rizal was a student of Japanese. He was able to speak it within a few
days because he is a linguist.
On a cool afternoon, Rizal also ran into the Tokyo Musicians. The
musicians are Filipinos, much to his surprise.
Rizal's one-month and-a-half stay in the Land of the Cherry
Blossoms was one of the happiest times of his life (February 28-April
13, 1888)
Rizal arrived in Yokohama early Tuesday morning, February 28,
1888. Rizal stayed here from March 2 to March 7 after registering
at the Grand Hotel Tokyo. “Tokyo is more costly than Paris,” Rizal
wrote to Professor Blumentritt. The walls are formed in a cyclopean
pattern. The streets are huge and spacious.”
 Chapter 13
Rizal’s Visit to the United States (1888)
Getting to San Francisco
28th of April, 1888 He saw white Americans' discrimination against
the Chinese and the Negros. “Belgian Streamer” Rizal's given name
– The ship's name docked in San Francisco on Saturday morning.
Two organizations have certified that Belgium is free of the cholera
outbreak. The British government of Hong Kong and the American
consul of Japan. According to the Americans, cholera is a raging
epidemic in the Far East. To ensure their safety, all passengers are
quarantined. Rizal was taken aback that there had been no
outbreak of the disease in the Far East, so he joined other
passengers in their indignation. There were 643 Chinese coolies on
board the ship.
700 bales of valuable Chinese silk were brought into the country
without being fumigated. Rizal arrived in San Francisco on Friday,
May 4, 1888, and was registered at the PALACE HOTEL, a first-
class hotel in the area. The regular rate at the PALACE HOTEL is
$4. Senator Leland Stanford is a millionaire who represents
California in the United States. In Palo Alto, California, he was also
the Founder and Benefactor of Stanford University. Grant Avenue,
which was once Dupon Street in Chinatown, is now Grant Avenue.
From May 4 to 6, 1888, he remained in San Francisco for two more
days. At the time, the President of the United States was Grover
Cleveland. Rizal's journey across the American continent began on
May 6, 1888, when he boarded a ferry boat from San Francisco to
Oakland, a distance of 9 miles across San Francisco Bay. Train
travel is an option.
 Chapter 14
Rizal in London (1888-1889)
From May 1888 to March 1889, Rizal resided in London.
For three reasons, he chose London:
1. to improve his command of the English language
2. to read Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas and annotate it 3. London
provided him with a safe haven in which to continue his war against
Spanish tyranny.
Across the Atlantic Journey
Rizal's trans-Atlantic journey from New York to Liverpool was a fun one. On
board the City of Rome, he made several friends of various nationalities.
Rizal amused the passengers with his amazing ability to use the yo-yo as
an offensive tool. He debated social and political issues with some
American newspapermen and considered them to be lacking in geopolitics.
Life in London
On May 24, 1888, Rizal arrived in Liverpool, England, and stayed at the
Adelphi Hotel. Rizal traveled to London the next day.
He stayed at Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor's house as a guest.
By the end of May, he had joined the Beckett family as a boarder.
Rizal found the Beckett house to be ideally situated since it was close to
public parks and the British Museum. He met Dr. Reinhold Rost, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs' librarian and an expert on Malayan languages
and customs. Rizal was described by Dr.Rost as "a pearl of a man" (una
perla de hombre) Rizal spent a lot of time in the British museum, poring
through the pages of Morga's Sucesos and other rare Philippine historical
works. Updates from home
 Chapter 15
Rizal’s Second Sojourn in Paris and the Universal Exposition of
18899
AFTER HIS STAY IN LONDON, RIZAL TRAVELED TO PARIS.
DESPITE THE CITY'S GLITTERING LIGHTS AND SOCIAL
GATHERINGS, HE CONTINUED HIS PRODUCTIVE MUSICAL,
LITERARY, AND PATRIOTIC ENDEAVORS. HE SHARED A
SMALL ROOM WITH TWO OTHER FILIPINOS: CAPITAN JUSTO
TRINIDAD, A FORMER GOVERNOR OF SANTA ANA, MANILA,
AND A SPANISH TYRANT'S REFUGEE, AND JOSE ALBERT, A
YOUNG STUDENT FROM MANILA.
RIZAL REMAINED BUSY IN PARIS, PURSUING HIS GOALS. ON
MORGA'S BOOK, HE DOUBLE-CHECKED HIS HISTORIAL
ANNOTATIONS. IN LETTERS TO HIS FAMILY IN CALAMBA, HE
DESCRIBED HIS LIFE IN PARIS IN FASCINATING DETAIL.
RIZAL WAS ENTHRALLED BY THE UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION
OF PARIS, WHICH OPENED ON MAY 6, 1889, JUST LIKE ANY
OTHER ORDINARY FILIPINO TOURIST IN A FOREIGN
COUNTRY. RIZAL AND HIS COMPANIONS WERE PRESENT AT
THE OPENING CEREMONIES, WHERE PRESIDENT SADI
CANNOTOF THE THIRD FRENCH REPUBLIC CUT THE RIBBON.
RIZAL ESTABLISHED THE KIDLAT CLUB, A SOCIETY FOR HIS
PAISANOS (COMRADES), ON MAY 19, 1889. ANTONIO AND
JUAN LUNA, GREGORIO AGUILERA, FERNANDO CANON,
LAURO DIMAYUGA, JULIE LLORENTE, GUILLERMO PUATU,
AND BALDOMERO ROXAS WERE AMONG THE GROUP'S
PARTICIPANTS.
 Chapter 16
In Belgian Brussels (1890)

When Jose Albert moved to Brussels, he was

joined by his friend Jose Albert. They were
housed in a modest boarding house owned by two
Jaceby sisters on 38 Rue Philippine Champagne
(Suzane and Marie). Albert eventually left the
city and was succeeded by Jose Alejandro, a
student of engineering.

In Brussels, Rizal was hard at work on his second

novel, which was a sequel to Noli. He never sat
still for more than an hour. He also wrote articles
for La Solidaridad and letters to his family and
friends in addition to the book's chapters. He
spent some of his time in the medical clinic as a
physician. He had gymnastics at the gymnasium
and target practice and fencing at the armory for
recreation.

Chapter 17 – Misfortunes in Madrid (1890-

1891)
Rizal's life in Madrid was describes as misfortunes. Rizal arrived
in Madrid in August 1890. He attempted to pursue justice for his
family and the Calamba tenants across all legal channels, but to
no avail. Leonor Rivera was also married to a British engineer.

To protest the Dominicans' injustices against the Calamba

people, Rizal sought the assistance of the Filipino colony. More
bad news arrived in Madrid from Rizal's brother-in-law, Silvestre,
who had obtained a copy of the Dominicans' eviction order. He
also heard of Paciano, Antonio, Silvestre, Teong, and Dandoy's
deportation to Mindoro. Saturnina's letter also revealed that their
parents had been ejected physically from their house.

His misfortunes were compounded by the death of Jose

Panganiban, a colleague in the Propaganda Movement.

When Antonio Luna made derogatory remarks about Nellie, Rizal

almost had a duel with him. He was overheard by Rizal, who
challenged him to a duel. They later realized, however, that their
duel would damage their cause in Spain.

Chapter 18 – Biarritz Vacations and

Romance with Nelly Boustead (1891)
Rizal spent his holiday in Biarritz, a resort city on the
fabulous French Riviera. The Boustead family had invited
him to stay with them. He had completed the last chapter of
his second book, El Filibusterismo, in Biarritz.
Rizal was head over heels in love with Nellie Boustead, a
Boustead family daughter. Rizal courted Nelly with the help
of his close friends, and she returned his feelings. Rizal had
intended to marry Nellie but was unable to do so. Before
they married, Nelly wanted Rizal to convert to
Protestantism. Rizal, a man with strong convictions,
declined. Another issue was Nelly's mothers, who did not
want to entrust their daughter to a man who was materially
poor.
Rizal traveled to Paris by train on March 30, 1891. Rizal
stepped down from both the Propaganda Movement and La
Solidaridad.

Rizal spent every day in Brussels revising and preparing the

finished manuscript of El Filibusterismo for printing.

Rizal spent his holiday in Biarritz, a resort city on the

fabulous French Riviera. The Boustead family had invited
him to stay with them. He had completed the last chapter of
his second book, El Filibusterismo, in Biarritz.

Chapter 19- El Filibusterismo Published in

Ghent (1891)
Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a popular Belgian university city, on July 5, 1891.
He remained in Ghent because printing is less expensive there. Rizal was a poor
man who lived in a run-down boarding house.

Following his arrival, Rizal sought out a printing shop that could provide him
with the best price for the publication of his novel. He discovered that F. Meyer-
Van Loo Press would print his book on a monthly basis. To cover the down
payment and early partial payments, he pawned all of his valuables. For the
copies of Morga's Sucesos that were sold in Manila, he obtained money from
Basa and 200 pesos from Arias.

When Ventura heard of Rizal's plight, he gave him the funds

he needed right away. Fili's printing was restarted thanks to
his financial assistance. The Gom-Bur-Za martyrdom was
commemorated in the El Filibusterismo.

Chapter 20- Ophthalmic Surgeon in Hong

Kong (1891-1892)

Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong after the release of El Filibusterismo. From
November 1891 to June 1892, he lived there.

Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne bound for Hong Kong on October 18,
1891 in Marseilles. During the voyage, he started work on his third Tagalog
novel.
Rizal's unfinished novels include Makamisa, Dapitan, and another untitled book.
Rizal referred to his journey as "heavenly." Over 80 people boarded the ship,
the majority of whom were Europeans, with two Spaniards on their way to
Amoy. Rizal was the only Asian among them, and his multilingualism astounded
his fellow travelers.

On November 20, 1891, Rizal arrived in Hong Kong. Jose Basa welcomed him to
Number 5 D' Aguilar Street, where he also established a medical clinic.
The arrival of his father, brother, and Silvestre Ubaldo in Hong Kong just before
Christmas in 1891 brought him joy. His mother and sisters Lucia, Josefa, and
Trinidad arrived not long after. Rizal's Christmas was one of the happiest in his
life since he was reunited with his family.

Rizal studied ophthalmology in Hong Kong as well. He established himself as a

well-known medical practitioner in the region.

Chapter 21- Second Homecoming and the

Liga Filipina

Rizal decided to return to Manila in May of 1892. He gave two sealed letters to
his friend Dr. Marques for safekeeping, with the inscription "to be opened after
my death."

Rizal and his sister Lucia arrived in Manila at noon on June 26, 1892. He stayed
at the Hotel de Oriente, which was directly across from Binondo's chapel.
Rizal boarded a train in Tutuban Station on June 27 to pay a visit to his friends.
Rizal returned to Malacaan Palace on Wednesday, July 6 to continue his series
of interviews. The governor general then handed him some handwritten leaflets
(Pobres Frailes) that he said were discovered in Lucia's pillow cases. Rizal said he
didn't have the leaflets because they were extensively searched upon arrival
from Hong Kong and found to be empty. Despite his denials and repeated
demands for an investigation, he was arrested and taken to Fort Santiago.

Rizal was carried to the steamer Cebu, which was sailing to Dapitan, on July 15,
1892. Rizal was handed over to Captain Ricardo Carnicero, the commandant of
Dapitan, on July 17th. His four-year exile in Dapitan lasted from July 31, 1896.

Chapter 22 – Exile in Dapitan (1892-1896)

Rizal was stationed in Dapitan for four years. He was supposed to live in the Jesuit
Church, but instead chose to live in Captain Carnicero's home. The two became friends
and became close. Carnicero was awestruck by Rizal's fine qualities and personalities.

Rizal won the Manila Lottery with a prize of 6,200 pesos on September 21, 1892. He
gave his winnings to his father and friend Basa, and he put the rest into agricultural
land purchases.

He had religious debates with Father Pastells during his stay in Dapitan. They
discussed their points of view and made observations about one another. Rizal and
Pastells remained good friends despite their religious differences.
He was also able to reconnect with his Ateneo tutor, Father Sanchez. Father Pastells
tasked Father Sanchez with persuading Rizal to abandon his "religious mistakes." Rizal
and Father Sanchez had religious disagreements, but Sanchez's efforts were futile.
In Dapitan, Rizal practiced medicine and had a large patient base. He gave the poor
free medicine. He could also able operate his mother's right eye. Rizal was also
fascinated by medicinal plants, which he applied to some of his poor patients.

Rizal also designed a water system for Dapitan, which modern engineers consider to
be very impressive. He also became a tutor, instructing Dapitan's young people. He
also devised a plan to improve the town plaza.

Rizal was a farmer as well. On his fields, he implemented new agricultural methods
that he had seen in Europe and America. He urges Dapitan farmers to abandon their
antiquated tillage scheme and follow modern methods. He bought some farm
equipment in the United States.

Rizal was involved with Josephine Bracken. When Josephine accompanied his father
to the Rizal clinic, they first met. Their partnership lasted one month before they
agreed to tie the knot. Dapitan was a happy place for the two of them. They had a
son, but he died after only three hours of life.

Rizal's exile in Dapitan came to an end on July 31, 1896. Rizal, Josephine, Narcisa,
Angelica, and his three nephews, as well as six students, boarded the steamer Espana.
Almost the entire town of Dapitan had gathered on the beach to bid him farewell

Chapter 23 – Last Trip Abroad (1896)

Rizal arrived in Dumaguete on August 1. He paid a visit to some old friends and
classmates. At about 1:00 p.m., the Espaa departed Dumaguete. and arrived in Cebu
the next morning. Rizal was enthralled by Cebu's arrival.

Rizal left Cebu on August 3 and traveled to Iloilo. The ship then sailed to Capiz and
then on to Romblon before arriving in Manila.

He missed the ship to Spain, but was able to right the Spanish cruiser Castilla at
midnight the same day.

Rizal was transferred to the steamer Isla de Panay, which was sailing to Barcelona,
Spain, on September 2. The steamer left Manila Bay the next morning.
The steamer arrived in Singapore on September 7 in the evening. Rizal was among the
passengers who went shopping and sightseeing. There were more Chinese merchants
than Indians, according to Rizal. He went out and bought a Chinese gown. Don Pedro
stayed in Singapore with his son. He advised Rizal to remain behind as well, taking
advantage of the British law's security. Rizal, on the other hand, followed him all the
way to Spain. On September 8, the steamer departed Singapore.

On September 25, he saw the steamer Isla de Luzon, which was loaded with Spanish
troops, leave the Suez Canal. A passenger told Rizal on September 28, a day after the
steamer Isla de Panay left Port Said, that he would be arrested by Governor General
Blanco and sent to Cueta Jail. Rizal was shocked by the news and realized he had been
duped.

His imminent arrest had not yet been made public. Captain Alemany, on the other
hand, informed him on September 30 that he should remain in his cabin until further
orders from Manila arrived. He carried out the instructions given to him.

The steamer anchored at Malta on the same day, but he was unable to land. Through
a small window, he could see what was going on.

The Isla de Panay arrived in Barcelona on October 3 with Rizal as a prisoner on board.
Rizal was imprisoned in his cabin for three days under close guard. Rizal became
aware of the city's celebration of St. Francis of Assisi's feast day on October 4. It was
3:00 a.m. Rizal was escorted to the Monjuich prison-fortress on October 6. He was
moved to a ship called Colon after his stay at Monjuich. Rizal was on board the Colon,
a ship packed with soldiers and officers. The ship departed Barcelona at 8:00 p.m. on
October 6.