Rizal in Dapitan

Rizal was brought under a maximum security to the steamer

S.S. Cebu headed by Capt. Delgras on the 15th of July, 1892,
which sailed to Dapitan.
Isang lumang larawan ng Dapitan. Mula sa
traveljunkiemanila.blogspot.com.
Rizal carried a letter by Father Pablo Pastells, Superior of the Jesuit
Society in the Philippines, to Father Antonio Obach, Jesuit missionary
in Dapitan. Fr . Pablo Pastells Fr. Antonio Obach
Padre Antonio Obach. Mula kay Diosdado G.
Capino at Virginia M. Buenaflor.
• 1.That Rizal publicly retract his errors concerning religion, and make
statements that were clearly pro- Spanish and against revolution.
• 2.That he perform the church rites and make a general confession of
his past life.
• 3.That henceforth he conduct himself in an exemplary manner as a
Spanish subject and a man of religion. Father Superior Pastells
informed Father Obach that Rizal could live at the parish convent on
the following conditions:
• However, Rizal did not agree . . .
• He lived in the house of the commandant, Captain Carnicero.
Consequently . . . Capitan Ricardo Carnicero  The relations between
Carnicero and Rizal were warm and friendly.  Rizal admired the kind,
generous Spanish captain.  He then wrote a poem, A Don Ricardo
Carnicero, on August 26, 1892 on the occasion of the captain's
birthday.
Casa Real, ang bahay ng komandante ng
Dapitan. Mula sa Vibal Foundation, Inc.
• Rizal's share Wins in Manila Lottery P 20 000 On September 21, 1892
the mail boat Butuan was approaching the town of Dapitan carrying a
Lottery ticket No. 9736 jointly owned by Captain Carnicero,
• Dr. Rizal and Francisco Equilior won the second prize of P20,000 in the
government-owned Manila Lottery.
• Rizal’s share of the winning lottery ticket was P6,200, He gave P2,000
to his father and P200 to his friend Basa in Hong Kong and the rest he
invested well by purchasing agricultural lands along the coast of
Talisay about one kilometer away from Dapitan.
• Wins in Manila Lottery "This was his only vice," commented
Wenceslao E. Retana, his first Spanish biographer and former enemy.
Three (3) pesetas – amount Rizal allotted for lottery tickets every
month
• Rizal-Pastells Debate on Religion
• The debate started when Pastells sent Rizal a book by Sarda along
with an advice that Rizal should desist from his majaderas
(foolishness) in viewing religion from the perspective of individual
judgement and self- esteem.
• The debate can be read in four (4) letters. Rizal was bitter against the
friars because they commit abuses under the cloak of religion. Father
Pastells tried to bring back to Catholicism Rizal by telling him that
human intelligence is limited, thus he needs the guidance of God.
• Behind the debate, Pastells and Rizal were friends as evidently
pictured when:
Rizal-Pastells Debate on Religion Pastells gave Rizal a copy of
Imitacion de Cristo by Fr. Thomas Kempis.
 Rizal gave Pastells a bust of St. Paul which he had made Rizal continued to
hear mass and celebrate religious events.
Rizal Challenges a Frenchman to a Duel Mr. Juan Lardet – a French
businessman whom Rizal had a conflict.

• Mr. Juan Lardet- a French acquaintance in Dapitan and

also a businessman had a quarrel w/ Rizal. Because
this man purchased many logs from the lands of Rizal.
It so Happened that some of the logs were of poor
quality.
• Rizal and Father Sanchez In his aspiration to reconcile Rizal with the
Church, Father Pastells sent to Dapitan:
1. Father Obach, Cura of Dapitan
2. Fr. Jose Vilaclara, Cura of Dipolog
3. Fr. Francisco Paula de Sanchez, Rizal’s favorite teacher at Ateneo de
Manila
• Fr. Francisco Paula de Sanchez • Estudios sobre la lengua tagala –
manuscript which Rizal gave to Sanchez on his birthday (Study of the
Tagalog language)
Idyllic Life in Dapitan Among his family members who visited Rizal
were:
His mother
His sisters Trinidad, Maria and Narcisa
Nephews Teodosio, Estanislao, Mauricio and Prudencio Rizal built a house by the seashore
of Talisay surrounded by fruit trees, a school for boys, and a hospital for his patients.
Rizal’s Encounter with the Friar’s Spy Pablo Mercado – assumed name
of the spy who visited Rizal at his house and pretended to be a relative
by showing a photo of Rizal and a pair of buttons with the initials P.M.
as evidence of kinship.
• The spy offered to be Rizal’s courier of letters for the patriots in
Manila. Rizal became suspicious and wanted to throw the spy outside
but considering his values and late hour of the night, he offered the
spy to spend the night at his house. The next day, he sent the spy
away. The spy stayed in Dapitan and spread talks among the people
that he was a relative to Rizal.
• Rizal went to the comandancia and reported the impostor to Captain
Juan Sitges (successor of Carnicero) Sitges ordered Pablo Mercado’s
arrest and told Anastacio Adriatico to investigate him immediately. o
Florencio Namanan a.k.a Pablo Mercado, single and about 30 years
old who was hired by the Recollect friars to spy on Rizal’s
activities .The secret mission of Pablo Mercado was not an
assassination attempt but espionage only.
• Dona Teodora and Maria lived with Rizal for a year and a half. It is
here when Rizal operated his mother’s right eye. Though the
operation was successful, his mother had a wound infection after
ignoring Rizal’s instruction of not removing the bandages. However,
the infection was immediately treated. Rizal as a Physician
Don Ignacio Tumarong Rizal’s patient who was able to see again after
his operation;-he paid Rizal P3,000
Don Florencio Azcarraga, rich haciendero of Aklan who was cured of
eye ailment, in turn he gave Rizal a cargo of sugar.
Rizal prescribed medicinal plants to his poor patients.
As a perito agrimensor (expert surveyor), Rizal applied his engineering knowledge by constructing
a system of waterworks to furnish clean water to the townspeople. Talisay Water System
• Mr. H.F. Cameron, an American engineer who praised Rizal for his
engineering ingenuity. Rizal as an Engineer
• Rizal had drained the marshes to get rid of malaria that was infesting
Dapitan; equipped the town with lighting system using P500 one of
his patients paid him. The lighting system consisted of Coconut oil
lamps;
• beautified the town of Dapitan by remodelling the town plaza and
making a huge relief map of Mindanao out of earth, stones and grass.
Rizal established in Dapitan a school. It began with 3 pupils who
increased to 16 and eventually 21. 16 of his pupils did not pay tuition.
Instead of charging them fees, Rizal made them work in his gardens and
construction projects.
Over time, more students were admitted to the school through an unusual and inventive test: after nightfall, Rizal
would ask the applicant to go into the forest and retrieve a cane he left behind. Some of Rizal’s students who were
in on the plan would make terrifying noises in the woods to scare away the unsuspecting neophyte. If he
successfully returned with the cane despite the provocations, he was welcomed to the school .
• Formal classes were between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. He also applied
the “emperor” system like that of Ateneo.
• During recess, pupils built fires to drive away insects, pruned fruit
trees and manured the soil. Outside class hours, students had
gymnastics, boxing, wrestling, stone- throwing, swimming, arnis and
boating.
• Hymn to Talisay - a poem Rizal wrote in honor of Talisay which he
made his pupils sing. Rizal as an Educator
• Contributions to Science Rizal sent specimens he found to the
museum of Europe especially the Dresden Museum. In turn, he
received scientific books and surgical instruments.
• He had built up a rich collection of conchology (consisting of 346
shells of 203 species) He had discovered rare specimens like:
Rhacophorus rizali (a rare frog) Draco rizali (a flying dragon) Apogonia
rizali ( a small beetle)
Rhacophorus rizali (a rare frog)
Draco Rizali
Apogonia rizali
Rizal as a Linguist

• Continuing his study of languages, Rizal learned in Dapitan:

• 1.Bisayan
• 2.Subanun
• 3.Malay languages Rizal as a Linguist
• He knew by that time 22 languages as follows Tagalog, Malay, Ilokano,
Hebrew, Bisayan, Sanskrit, Subanun, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan Latin,
Italian, Greek, Chinese, English, Japanese, French , Portuguese,
German, Swedish, Arabic, Russian.
To pursue his artistic activities,
1. Contributed paintings to the Sisters of Charity who were preparing
the sanctuary of the Holy Virgin.
2. Made sketches of persons and things that attracted him in Dapitan.
3. Constructed a statue of a girl called “The Dapitan Girl”, a
woodcarving of Josephine Bracken.
4. Made a bust of St. Paul for Father Pastells
5. Modeled a statuette called “The Mother’s Revenge” to stress the
moral of the incident where a puppy of his dog, Syria, was eaten by
a crocodile.
• Rizal acquired total land holdings of 70 hectares where 6,000 hemp
plants, 1,000 coconut trees and numerous fruit trees, sugarcane,
corn, coffee and cacao were planted.
• He planned to establish an agricultural colony in Sitio Ponot because it
was ideal for raising cacao, coffee, coconuts and cattle. However, this
did not materialize due to lack of support from the government. Rizal
as Farmer
Rizal as Businessman
• Ramon Carreon – Rizal’s business partner in Dapitan Rizal made
profitable business ventures in fishing, copra and hemp industries.
• Hemp industry – Rizal’s most profitable business.
• Once he shipped 150 bales of hemp to Manila. He purchased hemp in
Dapitan at P7 and 4 reales per picul and he sold it to Manila at P10
and 4 reales.
• Rizal also engaged in lime manufacturing. Their lime burner had a
monthly capacity of more than 400 bags of lime. He organized the
Cooperative Association of Dapitan Farmers to break Chinese
monopoly.
Rizal as Inventor
1. Cigarette lighter which he sent as a gift to Blumentritt called
“sulpukan” Among Rizal’s inventions were:
2. A wooden machine for making bricks.
• “My Retreat” Upon restoring her eyesight, Dona Teodora returned to
Manila. Seeing how busy Rizal is, she regretted neglecting her muses.
She requested Rizal to write poetry. As a response, Rizal wrote “Mi
Retiro” relating his serene life as an exile in Dapitan.
Rizal and Josephine Bracken

• The death of Leonor Rivera left a poignant void in Rizal’s heart. In his
loneliness, he met Josephine…
• Irish girl born in Hong Kong. James Bracken and Elizabeth Jane
MacBride – Josephine’s parents who are both Irish in citizenship.
Josephine Bracken
• Mr. George Taufer – man who adopted Josephine after her mother
died of childbirth. Mr. George Taufer… Mr. Taufer became blind so he
sought for an ophthalmic specialist.
• Rizal and Josephine Bracken decided to get married but Father Obach
refused to marry them without the permission of Bishop of Cebu.
• Hearing of the planned marriage and unable to endure the thought
of losing Josephine,
• Mr. Taufer tried to commit suicide by cutting off his throat with a razor
but Rizal was able to prevent this. Manuela Orlac – Filipina companion
who accompanied Josephine Bracken to Dapitan. Rizal and Josephine
Bracken
Mr. Taufer tried to commit suicide by cutting off his
throat with a razor but Rizal was able to prevent this.
Manuela Orlac – Filipina companion who accompanied Josephine
Bracken to Dapitan. Rizal and Josephine Bracken
• The two were happy for they were expecting for a baby. However,
Rizal played a prank on Josephine making her give birth to an eight-
month baby boy. The baby lived for only three hours. He was named
“Francisco” in honor of Rizal’s father
• Quarrels came much later, one of which, based from an article in the
Philippines Free Press, was violent, leading to her miscarriage. The
same article suggests that Rizal’s days of consolation with Josephine
were over and that his request for assignment to Cuba as a medical
volunteer was also prompted by his unhappiness with her (Alburo,
2001).
Rizal and the Katipunan 
• Venus – steamer Valenzuela boarded to reach Dapitan.
• Raymundo Mata – blind man who came with Valenzuela to
camouflage his mission. Rizal objected Bonifacio’s project because:
1.The people are not ready for a revolution. 2. Arms and funds must
first be collected before raising the cry of revolution.
Pio Valenzuela – emissary to Dapitan in order to inform Rizal of the plan of
Katipunan during the meeting at a little river called Bitukang Manok .
Volunteers as Military Doctor in Cuba

• When Cuba was under revolution and raging yellow fever epidemic,
Rizal wrote to Governor General Ramon Blanco offering his services as
military doctor.
• Governor Blanco later notified Rizal of the acceptance of the offer.
The notification came along with an instruction of acquiring first a
pass for Manila from the politico-military commander of Dapitan.
Governor General Ramon Blanco
• Upon receiving the acceptance of his offer to go to Europe then to
Cuba to help in the curing of patients suffering yellow fever, he wrote
a poem “El Canto del Viajero”. “The Song of the Traveler”  España –
steamer which brought Rizal to Manila from Dapitan. Rizal was
accompanied by Josephine, Narcisa, Angelica (Narcisa’s daughter), his
three nephews and six pupils.
• As farewell, the town brass of Dapitan played the dolorous Funeral
March of Chopin. He stayed in Dapitan for four years, thirteen days
and a few hours.