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RIZAL AND THE REST…

http://www.joserizal.ph

1 Rizal and the Katipuan

On June 21, 1896. Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Bonifacio’s emissary, visited Rizal in Dapitan and informed
him of the plan of the Katipunan to launch a revolution. Rizal objected to Bonifacio’s bold project
stating that such would be a veritable suicide. Rizal stressed that the Katipunan leaders should
do everything possible to prevent premature flow of native blood. Valenzuela, however, warned
Rizal that the Revolution will inevitably break out if the Katipunan would be discovered.

Sensing that the revolutionary leaders were dead set on launching their audacious project, Rizal
instructed Valenzuela that it would be for the best interests of the Katipunan to get first the
support of the rich and influential people of Manila to strengthen their cause. He further
suggested that Antonio Luna with his knowledge of military science and tactics, be made to
direct the military operations of the Revolution.

2 Rizal and the Propaganda Movement

To prove his point and refute the accusations of prejudiced Spanish writers against his race, Rizal
annotated the book, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, written by the Spaniard Antonio Morga. The
book was an unbiased presentation of 16th century Filipino culture. Rizal through his annotation
showed that Filipinos had developed culture even before the coming of the Spaniards.

While annotating Morga’s book, he began writing the sequel to the Noli, the El Filibusterismo. He
completed the Fili in July 1891 while he was in Brussels, Belgium. As in the printing of the Noli,
Rizal could not published the sequel for the lack of finances. Fortunately, Valentin Ventura gave
him financial assistance and the Fili came out of the printing press on September 1891.

The El Filibusterismo indicated Spanish colonial policies and attacked the Filipino collaborators of
such system. The novel pictured a society on the brink of a revolution.

To buttress his defense of the native’s pride and dignity as people, Rizal wrote three significant
essays while abroad: The Philippines a Century hence, the Indolence of the Filipinos and the
Letter to the Women of Malolos. These writings were his brilliant responses to the vicious attacks
against the Indio and his culture.

While in Hongkong, Rizal planned the founding of the Liga Filipina, a civil organization and the
establishment of a Filipino colony in Borneo. The colony was to be under the protectorate of the
North Borneo Company, he was granted permission by the British Governor to establish a
settlement on a 190,000 acre property in North Borneo. The colony was to be under the
protectorate of the North Borneo Company, with the "same privileges and conditions at those
given in the treaty with local Bornean rulers".

Governor Eulogio Despujol disapproved the project for obvious and self-serving reasons. He
considered the plan impractical and improper that Filipinos would settle and develop foreign
territories while the colony itself badly needed such developments.

3 Rizal's Articles in La Solidaridad

La verdad para todos (The Truth for All) – May 31, 1889 Rizal’s irst article.

Verdades nuevas (New Facts) – July 31, 1889

Una profanacion (A Desecration) July 31, 1889 – A scathing attacked against the friars for
refusing to bury Mariano Herbosa in the Catholic cemetary. The friars alleged that the deceased
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had not made any confession since his marriage to Lucia Rizal (1857-1919), Rizal’s elder sister.

Diferencias (Differences) – September 15, 1889

Filipinas dentro de cien anos (The Philippines Within One Hundred Years) – serialized in La
Solidaridad on September 30, October 31, December 15, 1889 and February 1, 1890 Rizal
prognosticated the Filipinos’ revolution against Spain winning their independence, but later the
Americans would come in over its colonization.

Ingratitudes (Ingratitudes) – January 15, 1890. A reply to Gov. Gen. Weyler who in company
with the Dominicans, visited the Provine of Laguna. The Governor told the people : "You should
not allow yourselves to be deceived by the vain promises of ungrateful sons."

Sin nobre (Without Name) – February 28, 1890.

Sobre la nueva ortografia de la lengua tagala (On the New Orthography of the Tagalog
Language) – April 15, 1890. Rizal’s advocacy of a new spelling in Tagalog.

Cosas de Filipinas (Things About the Philippines) – April 30, 1890.

Sobre la indolencia de los Filipinas (On the Indolence of the Filipinos) – serialized on July 15
to September 15, 1890. Rizal’s brilliant and masterly defense against the imputation of indolence
of the Filipinos.

4 RIZAL IN DAPITAN: Peaceful Life in Dapitan

During the early part of his exile in Dapitan, Rizal lived at the commandant’s residence. With his
prize from the Manila Lottery and his earnings as a farmer and a merchant, he bought a piece of
land near the shore of Talisay near Dapitan. On this land, he built three houses- all made of
bamboo, wood, and nipa. The first house which was square in shape was his home. The second
house was the living quarters of his pupils. And the third house was the barn where he kept his
chickens. The second house had eight sides, while the third had six sides.

In a latter to his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, on December 19, 1893, Rizal described his
peaceful life in Dapitan.

"I shall tell you how we lived here. I have three houses-one square, another hexagonal, and the
third octagonal. All these houses are made of bamboo, wood, and nipa. I live in the square
house, together with my mother, my sister, Trinidad, and my nephew. In the octagonal house
live some young boys who are my pupils. The hexagonal house is my barn where I keep my
chickens.

"From my house, I hear the murmur of a clear brook which comes from the high rocks. I see the
seashore where I keep two boats, which are called barotos here.

"I have many fruit trees, such as mangoes, lanzones, guayabanos, baluno, nangka, etc. I have
rabbits, dogs, cats, and other animals.

"I rise early in the morning-at five-visit my plants, feed the chickens, awaken my people, and
prepare our breakfast. At half-past seven, we eat our breakfast, which consists of tea, bread,
cheese, sweets, and other things.

"After breakfast, I treat the poor patients who come to my house. Then I dress and go to Dapitan
in my baroto. I am busy the whole morning, attending to my patients in town.

"At noon, I return home to Talisay for lunch. Then, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., I am busy as a
teacher. I teach the young boys.

"I spend the rest of the afternoon in farming. My pupils help me in watering the plants, pruning
the fruits, and planting many kinds of trees. We stop at 6:00 p.m. for the Angelus

"I spend the night reading and writing."

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5 Rizal's First Christmas in Dapitan After a short time, Jose Rizal began to
enjoy the simple life of Dapitan.

Rizal became prosperous. Aside from his lottery prize, Rizal earned more money by practicing
medicine. Some rich patients paid him well for curing their eye ailments. He began to buy
agricultural lands in Talisay, a barrio near Dapitan. He planned to build his house in this scenic
barrio by the seashore.

As Christmas came nearer, Rizal became more cheerful. His savings increased, for the cost of
living in Dapitan was cheaper than in Calamba. His health improved. Many Dapitan folks, who
were formerly indifferent to him, became his friends.

No wonder, Rizal enjoyed his first Christmas in Dapitan. He was one of the guests of Captain
Carnicero at a Christmas Eve dinner in the comandancia (house of the commandant). The other
guests were three Spaniards from the neighboring town of Dipolog and a Frenchman named Jean
Lardet. It was a merry feast. The guests enjoyed the delicious dishes prepared by the
commandant’s native cook. With the exception of Rizal, they drank beer, for he disliked hard
liquor. At midnight, Captain Carnicero, Rizal, and other guests went to church to hear the Mass of
the Noche Buena.

In a letter to his mother, dated January 5, 1893, Rizal described how he enjoyed his first
Christmas in Dapitan. He said:

"I spent a merry Christmas here. It could not have been merrier. I had a happy dinner on
Christmas eve, together with my host (the commandant), three Spaniards from a neighboring
town, and a Frenchman. We heard Mass at 12:00 midnight, for you know I go to Mass here every
Sunday."

6 Rizal as a Farmer in Dapitan To prove to his people that farming is a good a

profession as medicine, Rizal became a farmer in Dapitan. In a letter to his sister, Lucia, on
February 12, 1896, he said: "We cannot all be doctors; it is necessary that there would be some
to cultivate the soil."

During the first year of his exile (1893), Rizal bought an abandoned farm in Talisay, a barrio near
Dapitan. This farm had an area of sixteen hectares and was rather rocky. It lay beside a river
that resembled the Calamba River-clear fresh water, wide and swift current. In his letter to his
sister Trinidad on January 15, 1896, Rizal said: "My land is half an hour’s walk from the sea. The
whole place is poetic and very picturesque, better than Ilaya River, without comparison. At some
points, it is wide like the Pasig River and clear like the Pansol, and has some crocodiles in some
parts. There are dalag (fish) and pako (edible fern). If you and our parents come, I am going to
build a large house where we can all live together."

On this land in Talisay, Rizal actually built a permanent home. With the help of his pupils and
some laborers, he cleared it and planted cacao, coffee, coconuts, and fruit trees. Later, he
bought more lands in other barrios of Dapitan. In due time, his total land holdings reached 70
hectares. They contained 6,000 abaca plants, 1,000 coconut palms, many coffee and cacao
plants and numerous kinds of fruit trees.

On his lands, Rizal introduced modern methods of agriculture which he had observed during his
travels in Europe and America. He encouraged the Dapitan farmers to replace their primitive
system of cultivation with these modern methods. These modern methods of farming consisted
of the use of fertilizers, the rotation of crops, and the use of farm machines. Rizal actually
imported some farm machines from the United States.

Rizal dreamed of establishing an agricultural colony in the sitio of Ponot near Sindangan Bay.
This region contained plenty of water and good port facilities. He believed that it could
accommodate about 5,000 heads of cattle and 40,000 coconut palms. It was also ideal for the
cultivation of coffee, cacao, and sugar cane because of its fertile soil and favorable climate.

He invited his relatives and friends in Luzon, especially those in Calamba, to colonize the
Sindangan Bay area. Unfortunately, his plan of founding an agricultural colony in Sindangan Bay
did not materialize, like that of his former project to colonize North Borneo. He did not get the
support of the Spanish government.

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Before Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, he already knew many languages. These languages were:
Tagalog, Ilokano, Spanish, Latin, Greek, English, French, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Sanskrit,
Catalan, Dutch, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish, and Russian-19 in all.

His knowledge of many languages was one aspect of Rizal’s amazing genius. Few men in history
were gifted by God with such ability to learn any language easily. And one of these rare men was
Rizal.

To learn a new language, Rizal memorized five root words every night before going to bed. At the
end of the year, he learned 1,825 new words. He never forget these foreign words because of his
retentive memory.

Rizal made a good use of his knowledge of many languages in his travels in Europe and America,
in communicating with foreign scholars and scientists, and in his writings. Many times during his
travels abroad, he acted as interpreter for his fellow travelers who belonged to various
nationalities-Americans, British, French, German, Italians, Spaniards, Japanese and others.

During his exile in Dapitan, Rizal increased his knowledge of languages. He studied three more
languages- Malay, Bisayan and Subanun. On April 5, 1896, he wrote to his Austrian friend,
Professor Blumentritt: "I know Bisayan already, and I speak it quite well. It is necessary, however,
to know other dialects."

By the end of his exile in Dapitan on July 31, 1896, Rizal had become one of the world’s great
linguists. He knew 22 languages, namely, Tagalog, Ilokano, Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Greek,
Sanskrit, English, French, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Catalan, Dutch, Italian, Chinese, Japanese,
Swedish, Russian, Malay, Bisayan, and Subanun.

7 Rizal as a Painter in Dapitan In Dapitan, Rizal demonstrated his talent for

painting. Before the Holy Week of 1894, Father Vicente Balaguer, a young Jesuit parish priest,
was worried. He needed a good backdrop (canvas oil painting behind the main altar) for the
annual Lenten celebration. In his native city of Barcelona, Spain, a church had one that showed a
colonnaded court, viewed from a wide open gate- a scene depicting the court of Pontius Pilate.

Upon hearing of Rizal’s painting ability, Father Balaguer went to Talisay to talk with the exiled
doctor. He was accompanied by a convent helper named Leoncio Sagario.

"Doctor," he told Rizal, "I need your help. I would like to have a beautiful backdrop behind the
church altar that shows the spirit of the Holy Week. I’ve in mind something similar to one in a
church in Barcelona."

Father Balaguer made some rough sketches as he described the backdrop in the Barcelona
church. " Can you paint in oil such a picture on a huge canvas, Doctor?" he asked.

"I’ll try, Father. You see, I haven’t done any painting for many years, but I’ll do my best."

The following day, Rizal went to the Jesuit priest, bringing his own sketch based on the latter’s
ideas. Father Balaguer was satisfied and urged Rizal to begin the painting job at once.

The actual painting of the backdrop was a difficult task. Rizal obtained the help of two assistants-
Sister Agustina Montoya, a Filipina nun from Cavite who could paint, and Francisco Almirol, a
native painter of Dapitan.

The trio-Rizal, Sister Montoya, and Almirol- made the sacristy of the church as their workshop.
Rizal sketched in soft pencil the general outline of the picture, after which his two assistants
applied the oil colors.

Daily, Rizal supervised the work of his assistants. He himself put the finishing touches. He was
glad to note that he still had the skill in painting.

Father Balaguer was very much satisfied with the finished oil painting of the backdrop. "
Beautiful, very beautiful," he said. He warmly thanked Rizal and his two assistants for the work
well done.

The gorgeous backdrop became a precious possession of the Dapitan church- Santiago Church. It
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was truly a masterpiece.

Senate President Manuel L. Quezon saw Rizal’s painting masterpiece during his visit to Dapitan.
He was deeply impressed by its majestic beauty. At one time General Leonard Wood, governor-
general of the Philippines, saw it and said that it was truly "a Rizalian legacy".

After the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the beautiful backdrop was sent
to the Museum of the Ateneo de Manila for safekeeping.

Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Second World War when fires and bombs razed the
city of Manila.

8 Rizal's Son Dies By the beginning of 1896, Rizal was very happy. His beloved
Josephine was heavy with child. Within a few months, she would give birth to a child. As an
expectant father, Rizal had every reason to be cheerful and gay.

"I wish it would be a boy," he told Josephine.

"I also have the same wish," she replied.

"Let us hope and pray," said Rizal, " that it will be a boy. I will name him after my father."

"Suppose," asked Josephine in joking manner, "that it will be a girl?"

"Then, I will name her after my mother."

Unfortunately, Rizal and Josephine were not destined to have a child. One day in early March
1896, Rizal played a practical joke on Josephine, which frightened her terribly. As a result of her
great fright, she gave birth prematurely to an eight-month baby boy.

The baby was very weak and was gasping for breath. Seeing the baby’s condition, Rizal
immediately baptized him Francisco in honor of his father. He did everything he could to save
the life of his infant son, but in vain. All his knowledge and skill as a physician could not save
little Francisco. Sorrowfully, Rizal saw his child die three hours after birth.

With a heavy heart, he drew a sketch of his dead son. Then he buried him under a shady tree
near his home. He prayed": "Oh, God, I give you another tiny angel. Please bless his soul."

9 Rizal's Last Christmas in Dapitan The Christmas of 1895 was one of the
happiest events in Rizal’s life. It was because of the presence of Josephine, who proved to be a
loving wife and a good housekeeper.

She was now used to living a simple rural life in the Philippines. She was industrious and learned
to cook all sorts of native dishes.

In his letter to his sister, Trinidad, on September 25, 1895, Rizal praised Josephine, thus: "She
cooks, washes, takes care of the chickens and the house. In the absence of miki for making
pancit, she made some long macaroni noodles out of flour and eggs, which serves the purpose. If
you could send me a little angkak, I should be grateful to you, for she makes bagoong. She
makes also chili miso, but it seems to me that what we have will last for 10 years."

On December 25, 1895, Rizal and Josephine gave a Christmas party at their home in Talisay. By
a strange twist of fate, it proved to be Rizal’s last Christmas in Dapitan.

Rizal roasted a small pig to golden brown over a slow fire. He also made chicken broth out of a
fat hen. He invited all his neighbors. They all danced and made merry until dawn.

Writing to his sister, Trinidad, on January 15, 1896, Rizal described his last Christmas party in
Dapitan. "We celebrated merrily, as almost always. We roasted a small pig and hen. We invited
our neighbors. There was dancing, and we laughed a great deal until dawn."

10 Adios Dapitan On the morning of July 31, 1896, his last day in Dapitan, Rizal busily
packed his things. He was scheduled to leave the town on board the España, which was sailing
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back to Manila. He had sold his lands and other things he owned to his friend, mostly natives of
Dapitan.

At 5:30 in the afternoon, he and eight other companions embarked on the steamer. His eight
companions were Josephine; Narcisa (his sister); Angelica (daughter of Narcisa); his three
nephews, Mauricio (son of Maria Rizal ), Estanislao (son of Lucia Rizal), and Teodosio (another
son of Lucia Rizal); and Mr. And Mrs. Sunico.

Almost all Dapitan folks, young and old, were at the shore to see the departure of their beloved
doctor. The pupils of Rizal cried, for they could not accompany their dear teacher. Captain
Carnicero, in full regalia of a commandant’s uniform, was on hand to say goodbye to his prisoner,
whom he had come to admire and respect. The town brass band played the music of the farewell
ceremony.

At midnight, Friday, July 31, 1896, the steamer departed for Manila. The Dapitan folks shouted
"Adios, Dr. Rizal!" and threw their hats and handkerchiefs in the air. Captain Carnicero saluted
his departing friend. As the steamer left the town, the brass band played the sad music of
Chopin’s Farewell March.

Rizal was in the upper deck, with tears in his eyes. He raised his hand in farewell to the kind and
hospitable people of Dapitan, saying: " Adios, Dapitan!" He gazed at the crowded shore for the
last time. His heart was filled with sorrow.

When he could no longer see the dim shoreline, he turned sadly into his cabin. He wrote in his
diary: "I have been in that district four years, thirteen days, and a few hours."

11 Life after DAPITAN

Rizal in Manila Bay 6 August 1896
At dawn the España entered Manila Bay. He was not able to depart immediately for Spain,
because the Isla de Luzon which Rizal was supposed to board left the day before they arrived at
Manila.

6 August to 2 September 1896

For twenty-seven days, from Thursday, August 6, to Wednesday, September 2,1896, Rizal was
kept under arrest aboard the cruiser, Castilla, anhored off Cañacao, Cavite.

12 August 1896
He sent a letter to his sister Narcisa , asking her to let Josephine Bracken send him pants, vests,
collars, and cuffs, through a certain Prudencio Bulag.

19 August 1896
He advised his parents and sisters how they could visit him on board the Castilla, and likewise
requested Narcisa to buy fruits for the officers of the cruiser, who treated him well.

25 August 1896
In a letter, he thanked his sister Narcisa for the hospitality she had shown by letting Josephine
Bracken stay in her house.

30 August 1896
Governor Ramon Balnco sent Rizal a letter recommending him to the Minister of War, saying that
Rizal’s conduct in Dapitan was exemplary and that he had no connection at all with the Philippine
Revolution.

2 September 1896
Rizal was transferred to the boat Isla de Panay at 6:00 o’clock in the evening. He was met by the
captain of the boat, Capt. Alemany, and was given the best cabin. Later, he wrote a letter to his
mother informing her of his good health on board the ship.

He informed his mother of his departure for Cuba, comforting her that everybody is in the hands
of the Divine Providence. To his sisters, he urged them to take good care and and love their aged
parents the way they expect their children to love them.

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Rizal Sailed for Cuba Via Spain 3 September 1896
Rizal was given a new cabin, No. 22, with a divan. The boat anchored near Manila to load
passengers, among whom were Pedro Roxas, Maria Tuason And Pedro A. Paterno. He left Manila
for Spain.

4 September 1896
Rizal was informed of the rumors that he was the cause of the disturbances in Manila. A young
student, a native of Aragon, informed him that around 600 Filipinos were already ordered shot by
the Spanish authorities.

5 September 1896
A Jesuit father told him about poor Anacleto del Rosario died of heart trouble. On board he saw a
mentally deranged captain who was being shipped back to Spain.

7 September 1896
At 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon,they saw a lighthouse. At 8:00 p.m., they anchored alongside the
wharf made of wood. They left Singapore at 1;00 o’clock in the afternoon.

9 September 1896
In the evening, Rizal was disappointed. There were plans of holding a concert but was not
realized due to the rudeness of a passenger.

12 September 1896
He recovered slightly from hi sea-sickness, although the ship continued moving roughly.

13 September 1896
At 4:00 they started to see land and at 1:00 in the evening the Isla de Panay anchored at
Colombo.

14 September 1896
At 12:00 o’clock, they left Colombo for Aden.

15 September 1896
They passed by Maldivas and Laquedivas in the evening. This time the weather had already
improved a little bit.

19 September 1896
Rizal made mention of the death of a certain Capt. Cecilio on board the boat Isla de Panay. The
captain became mentally derange due to the two months imprisonment imposed on him by Gen.
Parrado. At 2o’clock Sunday morning, the dead body was thrown over board.

20 September 1896
The Isla de Panay arrived at Guardful at 12 o’clock. Rizal’s patient on board became worse for
having eaten butter.

21 September 1896
The Isla de Panay arrived at Arden at 4:30 in the afternoon. Rizal noticed that the Englishmen in
Aden had progressed much. There were already many buildings constructed.

In a letter, Rizal described to his mother the trip he had from Singapore to Colombo and from
Colombo to Aden, the throwing overboard of the dead body of Capt. Cecilio, and the hopeless
condition of a sick Jesuit.

22 September 1896
At 3 o’clock in the morning, the boat left Aden, passing near Perim which was fortified. Rizal’s
patient moved to the upper deck.

24 September 1896
Rizal was called to attend to a sick woman on board. Rizal injected her with morphine and later
applied hot bath.

25 September 1896
He dreamed that his Jesuit patient died. At 4:15 p.m. they met the Isla de Luzon full of soldiers
bound for the Philippines.

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26 September 1896
Rizal received a very bad new, which, if true, would make him doubt everything. Then he wrote a
letter to Prof. Blumentritt disclosing the contents of the two letters of recommendation issued
him by Governor Blanco.

29 September 1896
Rizal was the object of malicious talk on this day. Some passengers were inventing fantastic
stories against him. He was informed that San Roque, a district of Cavite City, was being
bombarded.

30 September 1896
Rizal received an order from Capt. A. Alemany, to the effect that after taking dinner, Rizal should
stay inside the cabin until another order is received. He asked the captain for the reason and the
Captain answered that it was due to some rumors that Rizal would remain in Malta.

1 October 1896
The boat left Malta at two o’clock in the morning. Rizal stayed the whole day in his cabin. A cabin
boy was surprised by Rizal tiptoeing into his cabin o steal his papers, apparently under the
instruction of the steward who was peeping through the hole of the cabin at the time.

3 October 1896
After exactly 30 days of travel, the Isla de Panay arrived at Barcelona. The passengers were
placed under quarantine for three days.

4 October 1896
Rizal heard 31 canon fires which signaled the celebration of the feast of D. Francisco de Asis. The
boat was still quarantined off the shore of Barcelona.

6 October 1896
At three o’clock in the morning a sergeant woke Rizal up in his cabin, ordering him to prepare his
baggage. At four o’clock, Rizal was whisked away from the boat by one military man and another
in civilian clothes.

Rizal arrived at Montjuich at exactly five o’clock, after one-hour walk under heavy guard.

At about two o’clock in the afternoon, after staying in Montjuich for about 8 hours, Rizal was
notified by the same officer called Tudela to get his baggage ready in order to board the boat
S.S. Colon. Rizal had to do everything in a jiffy under the threats and shouts of the captain. The
boat packed with soldiers, departed at eight o’clock in the evening.

12 Rizal Back at Home

7 October 1896
Rizal stayed inside his cabin on the board the S.S. Colon the whole day. He was a little bit
affected by the cold air. In the evening, he had conversation on various matters with two
soldiers.

8 October 1896
He woke up very hungry and weak. The infantry officer informed him that various newspapers in
Madrid identified him as the author of the disorders in the Philippines.

9 October 1896
On this day, he woke up a little bit lively. He thought that the order of his return to the
Philippines was timely for, according to him, he could refute the accusations hurled against him.
He was guarded in his cabin the whole day.

10 October 1896
The two holes of his cabin were covered in the morning, thus depriving him of the sunlight. He
was not given breakfast, only supper.

11 October 1896
The boat arrived at Port Said. His diary was confiscated form him.

29 October 1896
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He arrived at Singapore bound for the Philippines. He was the object for an application for a writ
of Habeas Corpus prepared by Charles Burton Buckley and Manuel Camus. Since the boat carried
a Spanish flag and Rizal was detained on order by the Spanish government, the applications was
turned down by Lionel Cox, S. J. The two Solicitor for Rizal were Rodyk and Davidson.

2 November 1896
Before arriving at Port Said, his travel diary was returned to him. His baggage was searched
minutely and he was lodged in prison cell everytime the S.S Colon approached a port anchor.

13 Rizal's Last Hours

Dec. 29, 1896. 6:00 – 7:00 a.m.
Sr. S. Mataix asks Rizal’s permission to interview him. Capt.

Dominguez reads death sentence to Rizal. Source of information: cablegram of Mataix to EL

Heraldo

De Madrid, "Notes" of Capt. Dominguez and Testimony of Lt. Gallegos.

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Rizal is transferred to his death cell. Fr. Saderra talks briefly with Rizal. Fr. Viza

presents statue of the Sacred hearth of Jesus and medal of Mary. Rizal rejects the letter, saying ,
"Im little of a Marian, Father." Source: Fr. Viza.

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Rizal is shares his milk and coffee with Fr. Rosell. Lt. Andrade and chief of Artillery come to visit
Rizal who thanks each of them. Rizal scribbles a note inviting his family it visit him. Sources: Fr.
Rosell and letter of Invitation.

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Sr. Mataix, defying stringent regulation, enters death cell and interviews Rizal in the presence of
Fr. Rosell. Later, Gov. Luengo drops in to join the conversation. Sources: Letter of Mataix ti
Retana Testimony of Fr. Rosell.

10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Fr. Faura persuades Rizal to put down his rancours and order to marry josephine canonically. a
heated discussion on religion occurs between them ion the hearing of Fr. Rosell. Sources: El
Imparcial and Fr. Rosell .

11:00 – 12:00 noon.

Rizal talks on "various topics" in a long conversation with Fr. Vilaclara who will later conclude
(with Fr. Balaguer, who is not allowed to enter the death cell) that Rizal is either to Prostestant or
rationalist who speaks in "a very cold and calculated manner" with a mixture of a "strange
piety." No debate or discussion on religion is recorded to have taken place between the Fathers
mentioned and Rizal. Sources: El Imarcial and Rizal y su Obra.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Rizal reads Bible and Imitation of Christ by Kempis, then meditates. Fr. Balaguer reports to the
Archbishop that only a little hope remains that Rizal is going to retract for Rizal was heard saying
that he is going to appear tranquilly before God. Sources: Rizal’s habits and Rizal y su Obra.

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Rizal denies (probably, he is allowed to attend to his personal necessities). Source: "Notes" of
Capt. Dominguez.

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Rizal confers with Fr. March and Fr. Vilaclara. Sources: "Notes" of Capt. Dominguez in conjunction
with the testimonies of Fr. Pi and Fr. Balaguer.

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Rizal reads verses which he had underlined in Eggers german Reader, a book which he is going
to hand over to his sisters to be sent to Dr. Blumentritt through F. Stahl. He "writes several
letters . . . ,with his last dedications," then he "rest for a short." Sources: F. Stahl and F.
Aileen Grace Delima
B.S.BIOLOGY
 10
Blumentritt, Cavana (1956) – Appendix 13, and the "Notes" of Capt. Dominguez.

4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Capt. Dominguez is moved with compassion at the sight of Rizal’s kneeling before his mother
and asking pardon. Fr. Rosell hears Rizal’s farewell to his sister and his address to those presents
eulogizing the cleverness of his nephew. The other sisters come in one by one after the other
and to each Rizal’s gives promises to give a book, an alcohol burner, his pair of shoes, an
instruction, something to remember. Sources "notes" of Capt. Dominguez and Fr. Rosell, Diaro de
Manila.

5:30 – 6:00 p.m.

The Dean of the Cathedral, admitted on account of his dignity, comes to exchange views with
Rizal. Fr. Rosell hears an order given to certain "gentlemen" and "two friars" to leave the chapel
at once. Fr. Balaguer leaves Fort Santiago. Sources: Rev. Silvino Lopez-Tuñon, Fr. Rosell, Fr.
Serapio Tamayo, and Sworn Statement of Fr. Balaguer.

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Fr. Rosell leaves Fort Santiago and sees Josephine Bracken. Rizal calls for Josephine and then
they speak to each for the last time. Sources: Fr. Rosell, El Imparcial, and Testimony of Josephine
to R. Wildman in 1899.

7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Fr. Faura returns to console Rizal and persuades him once more to trust him and the other
professors at the Ateneo. Rizal is emotion-filled and, after remaining some moments in silence,
confesses to Fr. Faura. Sources: El Imparcial.

8:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Rizal rakes supper (and, most probably, attends to his personal needs). Then, he receives Bro.
Titllot with whom he had a very "tender" (Fr. Balaguer) or "useful" (Fr. Pi) interview. Sources:
Separate testimonies of Fr. Balaguer and Fr. Pi on the report of Bro. Titllot; Fisal Castaño.

9:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Fiscal Castaño exchanges views with Rizal regarding their respective professors. Sources: Fiscal
Castaño.

10:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Rizal manifests strange reaction, asks guards for paper and pen. From rough drafts and copies of
his poem recovered in his shoes, the Spaniards come to know that Rizal is writing a poem.
Sources: El Imparcial and Ultimo Adios; probably, Fiscal Castaño.

11:00 – 12:00 midnight

Rizal takes time to his hide his poem inside the alcohol burner. It has to be done during night
rather than during daytime because he is watched very carefully. He then writes his last letter to
brother Paciano. Sources: Testimonies and circumstantial evidence.

12:00 – 4:00 a.m.

Rizal sleeps restfully because his confidence in the goodness of God and the justness of his
cause gives him astounding serenity and unusual calmness.

Dec. 30, 1986. 4:00 – 5:00 a.m.

Rizal picks up Imitation of Christ, reads, meditates and then writes in Kempis’ book a dectation to
his wife Josephine and by this very act in itself he gives to her their only certificate of marriage.

5:00 – 6:15
Rizal washes up, takes breakfast, attends to his personal needs. Writes a letter to his parents.
Reads Bible and meditates. Josephine is prohibited by the Spanish officers from seeing Rizal,
according to Josephine’s testimony to R. Wildman in 1899.

6:15 – 7:00
Rizal walks to the place of execution between Fr. March and Fr. Vilaclara with whom he
converses. Keeps looking around as if seeking or expecting to see someone. His last word, said in
a loud voice: "It is finished"

7:00 – 7:03

Aileen Grace Delima

B.S.BIOLOGY
 11
Sounds of guns. Rizal vacillates, turns halfway around, falls down backwards and lies on the
ground facing the sun. Silence. Shouts of vivas for Spain.

Rizal's Retraction: Introduction This section presents contrasting views on the retraction by
biographers of Rizal.The team deemed it proper to present the views in the exact words of the
scholars so as to avoid misinterpretations.

Read on and judge for yourself whether Rizal retracted or not.

Interested readers may submit their materials for inclusion in this site or you may advise us of
your own web site on this topic for linkage. Any contribution shall be deeply appreciated since it
will help in further enlightening our students on this controversial issue.

14 Texts of Rizal's Retraction

The "original" discovered by Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M. on May 18, 1935

Me declaro catolica y en esta Religion en que naci y me eduque quiero vivir y morir.

Me retracto de todo corazon de cuanto en mis palabras, escritos, inpresos y conducta ha habido
contrario a mi cualidad de hijo de la Iglesia Catolica. Creo y profeso cuanto ella enseña y me
somento a cuanto ella manda. Abomino de la Masonaria, como enigma que es de la Iglesia, y
como Sociedad prohibida por la Iglesia. Puede el Prelado Diocesano, como Autoridad Superior
Eclesiastica hacer publica esta manifastacion espontanea mia para reparar el escandalo que mis
actos hayan podido causar y para que Dios y los hombers me perdonen.

Manila 29 de Deciembre de 1896

Jose Rizal

Jefe del Piquete

Juan del Fresno

Ayudante de Plaza
Eloy Moure

Translation (English)

I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I was born and educated I wish to live
and die.

I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and conduct has been
contrary to my character as son of the Catholic Church. I believe and I confess whatever she
teaches and I submit to whatever she demands. I abominate Masonry, as the enemy which is of
the Church, and as a Society prohibited by the Church. The Diocesan Prelate may, as the
Superior Ecclesiastical Authority, make public this spontaneous manifestation of mine in order to
repair the scandal which my acts may have caused and so that God and people may pardon me.

Manila 29 of December of 1896

Jose Rizal

La Voz Española, December 30, 1896

Me declaro catolica y en esta Religion en que naci y me eduque quiero vivir y morir.

Me retracto de todo corazon de cuanto en mis palabras, escritos, inpresos y conducta ha habido
contrario a mis cualidades de hijo de la Iglesia Catolica. Creo y profeso cuanto ella enseña y me
somento a cuanto ella manda. Abomino de la Masonaria, como enigma que es de la Iglesia y
como sociedad prohibida por la Iglesia. Puede el Prelado Diocesano, como autoridad superior
eclesiastica hacer publica esta manifastacion espontanea para reparar el escandalo que mis
actos hayan podido causar y para que Dios y los hombers me perdonen.

Aileen Grace Delima

B.S.BIOLOGY
 12
Manila, 29 de Diciembre de

1896-Jose Rizal

Jefe del Piquete

Juan del Fresno

Ayudante de Plaza
Eloy Moure

Fr. Balaguer's text, January 1897

Me declaro catolica y en esta Religion en que naci y me eduque quiero vivir y morir. Me retracto
de todo corazon de cuanto en mis palabras, escritos, inpresos y conducta ha habido contrario a
mi calidad de hijo de la Iglesia. Creo y profeso cuanto ella enseña y me somento a cuanto Ella
manda. Abomino de la Masonaria, como enigma que es de la Iglesia, y como Sociedad prohibida
por la misma Iglesia.

Puede el Prelado diocesano, como Autoridad superior eclesiastica hacer publica esta
manifastacion espontanea mia, para reparar el escandalo que mis actos hayan podido causar, y
para que Dios y los hombers me perdonen.

Manila, 29 de Diciembre de

1896-Jose Rizal

15 Analysis Rizal's Retraction At least four texts of Rizal’s retraction have

surfaced. The fourth text appeared in El Imparcial on the day after Rizal’s execution; it is the
short formula of the retraction.

The first text was published in La Voz Española and Diaro de Manila on the very day of Rizal’s
execution, Dec. 30, 1896. The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, on February 14, 1897,
in the fortnightly magazine in La Juventud; it came from an anonymous writer who revealed
himself fourteen years later as Fr. Balaguer. The "original" text was discovered in the
archdiocesan archives on May 18, 1935, after it disappeared for thirty-nine years from the
afternoon of the day when Rizal was shot.

We know not that reproductions of the lost original had been made by a copyist who could
imitate Rizal’s handwriting. This fact is revealed by Fr. Balaguer himself who, in his letter to his
former superior Fr. Pio Pi in 1910, said that he had received "an exact copy of the retraction
written and signed by Rizal. The handwriting of this copy I don’t know nor do I remember whose
it is. . ." He proceeded: "I even suspect that it might have been written by Rizal himself. I am
sending it to you that you may . . . verify whether it might be of Rizal himself . . . ." Fr. Pi was not
able to verify it in his sworn statement.

This "exact" copy had been received by Fr. Balaguer in the evening immediately preceding
Rizal’s execution, Rizal y su Obra, and was followed by Sr. W. Retana in his biography of Rizal,
Vida y Escritos del Jose Rizal with the addition of the names of the witnesses taken from the texts
of the retraction in the Manila newspapers. Fr. Pi’s copy of Rizal’s retraction has the same text as
that of Fr. Balaguer’s "exact" copy but follows the paragraphing of the texts of Rizal’s retraction
in the Manila newspapers.

Regarding the "original" text, no one claimed to have seen it, except the publishers of La Voz
Espanola. That newspaper reported: "Still more; we have seen and read his (Rizal’s) own hand-
written retraction which he sent to our dear and venerable Archbishop…" On the other hand,
Manila pharmacist F. Stahl wrote in a letter: "besides, nobody has seen this written declaration,
in spite of the fact that quite a number of people would want to see it. "For example, not only
Rizal’s family but also the correspondents in Manila of the newspapers in Madrid, Don Manuel
Alhama of El Imparcial and Sr. Santiago Mataix of El Heraldo, were not able to see the hand-
written retraction.

Neither Fr. Pi nor His Grace the Archbishop ascertained whether Rizal himself was the one who
wrote and signed the retraction. (Ascertaining the document was necessary because it was
Aileen Grace Delima
B.S.BIOLOGY
 13
possible for one who could imitate Rizal’s handwriting aforesaid holograph; and keeping a copy
of the same for our archives, I myself delivered it personally that the same morning to His Grace
Archbishop… His Grace testified: At once the undersigned entrusted this holograph to Rev.
Thomas Gonzales Feijoo, secretary of the Chancery." After that, the documents could not be
seen by those who wanted to examine it and was finally considered lost after efforts to look for it
proved futile.

On May 18, 1935, the lost "original" document of Rizal’s retraction was discovered by the
archdeocean archivist Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M. The discovery, instead of ending doubts about
Rizal’s retraction, has in fact encouraged it because the newly discovered text retraction differs
significantly from the text found in the Jesuits’ and the Archbishop’s copies. And, the fact that the
texts of the retraction which appeared in the Manila newspapers could be shown to be the exact
copies of the "original" but only imitations of it. This means that the friars who controlled the
press in Manila (for example, La Voz Española) had the "original" while the Jesuits had only the
imitations.

We now proceed to show the significant differences between the "original" and the Manila
newspapers texts of the retraction on the one hand and the text s of the copies of Fr. Balaguer
and F5r. Pio Pi on the other hand.

First, instead of the words "mi cualidad" (with "u") which appear in the original and the
newspaper texts, the Jesuits’ copies have "mi calidad" (with "u").

Second, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction omit the word "Catolica" after the first "Iglesias"
which are found in the original and the newspaper texts.

Third, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction add before the third "Iglesias" the word "misma" which
is not found in the original and the newspaper texts of the retraction.

Fourth, with regards to paragraphing which immediately strikes the eye of the critical reader, Fr.
Balaguer’s text does not begin the second paragraph until the fifth sentences while the original
and the newspaper copies start the second paragraph immediately with the second sentences.

Fifth, whereas the texts of the retraction in the original and in the manila newspapers have only
four commas, the text of Fr. Balaguer’s copy has eleven commas.

Sixth, the most important of all, Fr. Balaguer’s copy did not have the names of the witnesses
from the texts of the newspapers in Manila.

In his notarized testimony twenty years later, Fr. Balaguer finally named the witnesses. He said
"This . . .retraction was signed together with Dr. Rizal by Señor Fresno, Chief of the Picket, and
Señor Moure, Adjutant of the Plaza." However, the proceeding quotation only proves itself to be
an addition to the original. Moreover, in his letter to Fr. Pi in 1910, Fr. Balaguer said that he had
the "exact" copy of the retraction, which was signed by Rizal, but her made no mention of the
witnesses. In his accounts too, no witnesses signed the retraction.

How did Fr. Balaguer obtain his copy of Rizal’s retraction? Fr. Balaguer never alluded to having
himself made a copy of the retraction although he claimed that the Archbishop prepared a long
formula of the retraction and Fr. Pi a short formula. In Fr. Balaguer’s earliest account, it is not yet
clear whether Fr. Balaguer was using the long formula of nor no formula in dictating to Rizal what
to write. According to Fr. Pi, in his own account of Rizal’s conversion in 1909, Fr. Balaguer
dictated from Fr. Pi’s short formula previously approved by the Archbishop. In his letter to Fr. Pi
in 1910, Fr. Balaguer admitted that he dictated to Rizal the short formula prepared by Fr. Pi;
however; he contradicts himself when he revealed that the "exact" copy came from the
Archbishop. The only copy, which Fr. Balaguer wrote, is the one that appeared ion his earliest
account of Rizal’s retraction.

Where did Fr. Balaguer’s "exact" copy come from? We do not need long arguments to answer
this question, because Fr. Balaguer himself has unwittingly answered this question. He said in his
letter to Fr. Pi in 1910:

"…I preserved in my keeping and am sending to you the original texts of the two formulas of
retraction, which they (You) gave me; that from you and that of the Archbishop, and the first with
the changes which they (that is, you) made; and the other the exact copy of the retraction
written and signed by Rizal. The handwriting of this copy I don’t know nor do I remember whose
Aileen Grace Delima
B.S.BIOLOGY
 14
it is, and I even suspect that it might have been written by Rizal himself."

In his own word quoted above, Fr. Balaguer said that he received two original texts of the
retraction. The first, which came from Fr. Pi, contained "the changes which You (Fr. Pi) made";
the other, which is "that of the Archbishop" was "the exact copy of the retraction written and
signed by Rizal" (underscoring supplied). Fr. Balaguer said that the "exact copy" was "written
and signed by Rizal" but he did not say "written and signed by Rizal and himself" (the absence of
the reflexive pronoun "himself" could mean that another person-the copyist-did not). He only
"suspected" that "Rizal himself" much as Fr. Balaguer did "not know nor ... remember" whose
handwriting it was.

Thus, according to Fr. Balaguer, the "exact copy" came from the Archbishop! He called it "exact"
because, not having seen the original himself, he was made to believe that it was the one that
faithfully reproduced the original in comparison to that of Fr. Pi in which "changes" (that is,
where deviated from the "exact" copy) had been made. Actually, the difference between that of
the Archbishop (the "exact" copy) and that of Fr. Pi (with "changes") is that the latter was
"shorter" be cause it omitted certain phrases found in the former so that, as Fr. Pi had fervently
hoped, Rizal would sign it.

According to Fr. Pi, Rizal rejected the long formula so that Fr. Balaguer had to dictate from the
short formula of Fr. Pi. Allegedly, Rizal wrote down what was dictated to him but he insisted on
adding the phrases "in which I was born and educated" and "[Masonary]" as the enemy that is of
the Church" – the first of which Rizal would have regarded as unnecessary and the second as
downright contrary to his spirit. However, what actually would have happened, if we are to
believe the fictitious account, was that Rizal’s addition of the phrases was the retoration of the
phrases found in the original which had been omitted in Fr. Pi’s short formula.

The "exact" copy was shown to the military men guarding in Fort Santiago to convince them that
Rizal had retracted. Someone read it aloud in the hearing of Capt. Dominguez, who claimed in his
"Notes’ that Rizal read aloud his retraction. However, his copy of the retraction proved him
wrong because its text (with "u") and omits the word "Catolica" as in Fr. Balaguer’s copy but
which are not the case in the original. Capt. Dominguez never claimed to have seen the
retraction: he only "heard".

The truth is that, almost two years before his execution, Rizal had written a retraction in Dapitan.
Very early in 1895, Josephine Bracken came to Dapitan with her adopted father who wanted to
be cured of his blindness by Dr. Rizal; their guide was Manuela Orlac, who was agent and a
mistress of a friar. Rizal fell in love with Josephine and wanted to marry her canonically but he
was required to sign a profession of faith and to write retraction, which had to be approved by
the Bishop of Cebu. "Spanish law had established civil marriage in the Philippines," Prof. Craig
wrote, but the local government had not provided any way for people to avail themselves of the
right..."

In order to marry Josephine, Rizal wrote with the help of a priest a form of retraction to be
approved by the Bishop of Cebu. This incident was revealed by Fr. Antonio Obach to his friend
Prof. Austin Craig who wrote down in 1912 what the priest had told him; "The document (the
retraction), inclosed with the priest’s letter, was ready for the mail when Rizal came hurrying I to
reclaim it." Rizal realized (perhaps, rather late) that he had written and given to a priest what the
friars had been trying by all means to get from him.

Neither the Archbishop nor Fr. Pi saw the original document of retraction. What they was saw a
copy done by one who could imitate Rizal’s handwriting while the original (almost eaten by
termites) was kept by some friars. Both the Archbishop and Fr. Pi acted innocently because they
did not distinguish between the genuine and the imitation of Rizal’s handwriting.
16 Rizal's Famous Quotations
"Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika, daig pa ang hayop at malansang isda."

"He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish."

"It is a useless life that is not consecrated to a great ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field
without becoming a part of any edifice."

"While a people preserves its language; it preserves the marks of liberty."

Aileen Grace Delima
B.S.BIOLOGY
 15

"There can be no tyrants where there are no slaves."

"Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinangalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan."

"He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his
destination."

"The youth is the hope of our future."

17 Frequently Asked Questions

• How old was Rizal when he died?
o 35 years, 6 months and 11 days old
• What is the first novel of Rizal
o Noli Me Tangere
• What is the title of Rizal's unfinished novel in Tagalog?
o Nakamisa
• Where and when did he finish his Bachelor of Arts degree?
o Ateneo Municipal (now Ateneo de Manila) on March 23, 1872
• When and where did Rizal start formal schooling?
o In Biñan on 1869
• What was Rizal's first poem?
o "Sa aking mga kababata"
• What was Rizal’s first winning literary piece on the competition sponsored by the Artistic-
Literary Lyceum?
o A La Juventud Filipina
• When and where did Rizal finish his medical course?
o Central University of Manila, on June 21, 1884, he was awarded the degree of
Licentiate in Medicine.
• Who was the youngest sister of Rizal?
o Soledad
• Who was the oldest sister of Rizal?
o Saturnina
• Where did Rizal obtain his early schooling?
o Jose Rizal obtained his early schooling at a private school in Biñan, because Biñan at
that time was famous for its private school. Rizal studied under Maestro Justiniano
Aquino Cruz – a well-known teacher of young boys. Rizal was nine (9) years old
when his parents sent to him to study in Biñan.
• Why did Rizal leave Japan when he was happy in that beautiful country and was in loved
with a pretty Japanese girl?
o There is no doubt that Rizal and O-sei-san were deeply in love. If Rizal were a man
without patriotism and without self-control, he would have stayed permanently in
Japan. He could have married beautiful O-sei-san and lived happily with her. He
could have a good life in Japan, for the Spanish legation offered him a job with a
high salary. But he was dedicated to a noble mission - the welfare and freedom of
his oppressed people. And nothing, even the love of the pretty girl and a good job
could make him forgets his mission in life.
• Who became Rizal’s wife? How did they meet?
Aileen Grace Delima
B.S.BIOLOGY
 16
o Rizal has his last romance in Dapitan. He falls in love with a pretty Irish girl from
Hongkong name Josephine Bracken. This girl accompanied her blind foster father,
George Taufer, to treated by Jose Rizal. Rizal fails to cure Taufer’s blindness, but he
won the love of Josephine. Josephine proved to be worthy of Rizal. Together they
lived as man and wife in Dapitan. Josephine made Rizal happy. Unfortunately, there
only child-a-boy- died three hours after his birth.
• To Jose Rizal, what is the most important contribution of every Filipino to his country’s
progress?
o The main thing is that every Filipino must be a good man, a good citizen so that he
can help his country to progress by contributing his heart, and if need, be his arm.
(With the head and heart, we ought to work always; with the arm when the time
comes when physical strength is needed. The principal tool of the heart and the
head is the pen. Other prefer the brush; others the chisel. On my part, I prefer the
pen.)
• Why did Leonor Rivera break her engagement with Rizal? Who did she marry?
o Another sorrow of Rizal in Madrid was the break-up of his engagement with Leonor
Rivera. One cold day in December 1890 he received a letter from Leonor
announcing her marriage with Henry Kipping, a British Engineer in the Manila,
Dagupan Railway. This sorrowful news broke his heart.

Aileen Grace Delima

B.S.BIOLOGY