Rizal an Ophthalmic

Surgeon in Hong Kong

(1891-1892)

After

the publication of El Filibusterismo,

Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong and
stayed there for 7 months.
He decided to leave Europe because of
the following reasons:
Political differences with Marcelo H. del Pilar
and other compatriots in Spain.
To be near the Philippines and his family

Two

weeks after the publication of the El

Filibusterismo, Rizal left Ghent for Paris
where he stayed for a few days to bid good
bye to his friends.

From

Paris, he rode a train to Marseilles

where he boarded the steamer Melbourne,
bound for Hong Kong.
He brought with him a recommendation letter
given by Juan Luna addressed to Manuel
Camus, a compatriot living in Singapore plus
600 copies of the El Filibusterismo.

Farewell Europe

There

were 80 passengers, mostly

Europeans and Rizal was the only Asian.

There

was an incident involving Rizal and

the German ladies but eventually, the
latter end up treating the former with
admiration and respect.

Melbourne

November

20, 1891
Rizal was welcomed by Filipino residents
headed by his friend Jose Maria Basa.
He stayed in No. 5 D Aguilar Street, No. 2
Rednaxola Terrace where he opened his
clinic.

Rizal Arrived in Hong Kong

Sent

a letter to Rizal informing him about

the sad news of the deportation of 25
persons from Calamba, including Don
Francisco, Saturnina, Narcisa Paciano and
him.
He also told Rizal that he wrote a letter
addressed to the Queen Regent of Spain
explaining their situation and if the Queen
will not listen, then, he will ask Queen
Victoria of England for help.

Manuel Hidalgo

Before

Christmas of 1891, Don Francisco,

Paciano and Silvestre Ubaldo arrived in Hong
Kong.
Days after Doa Teodora, Lucia and Josefa
and Trinidad also arrived.
Doa Teodora then 65 years old and almost
blind.

She suffered so much from the hands of the

Spaniards
In 1890, she was arrested on the flimsy charge of
not using her surname Realonda, despite of her age
and blindness she was forced by the officers to walk
from Calamba to Santa Cruz.

Rizal Family Reunited in Hong

Kong

The

Christmas of 1891 is the happiest

celebration in Rizals life

Asing

Rizals cook in Hong Kong

In

order to earn a living for himself, Rizal

practiced medicine.
Dr. Lorenzo Marques a Portuguese
physician who became his friend and
admirer, helped him to build up a wide
clientele.
In due time Rizal became a successful and
well-known medical practitioner in the
British Colony.

Rizal the Ophthalmic Surgeon in

Hong Kong

He

successfully operated his mothers

eyes so that she was able to read and
write again.
Aside from being an eye specialist, Rizal
was also a general practitioner, because
there was an epidemic

Because

of the hardship of the Calamba

folks under Gov. Gen. Valeriano Weyler,
Rizal conceived the establishment of a
Filipino colony in North Borneo (Sabah).
He planned to move the landless Filipino
families to that rich British owned island.
On March 7, 1892, Rizal went to
Sandakan on board the ship Menon to
negotiate with the British authorities.

Borneo Colonization Project

The

British authorities of Borneo were

willing to give the Filipino colonists
100,000 acres of land, a beautiful harbor
and a good government for 999 years,
free of all charges.

Manuel

Hidalgo objected to the project

Replaced

Weyler
Offered a fine program of government
Rizal

offered his cooperation to him but he

did not even acknowledged.

Governor General Eulogio Despujol

His

writings were published by Hong Kong

Telegraph edited by Frazier Smith
Ang Mga Karapatan Nang Tao Rizals version of
the Rights of Man, a historic document proclaimed
in the French Revolution of 1789.
A la Nacion Espaola (To the Spanish Nation) this
article was Rizals appeal to Spain to rectify the
wrong done to the landless peasants of Calamba.
Sa Mga Kababayan (To My Countrymen) this
article was Rizals exposition on the Calamba
agrarian problem.

Writings of Rizal in Hong Kong

La

Liga Filipina The Philippine League

Rizal drafted its constitution while he was in
Hong Kong with the help of Jose Maria Basa.
Motto: One Like All (Unus Instar Omnium)
Membership is based on endorsements and
passing certain tests.
Three levels of organizational councils:
Popular
Provincial
Supreme

Rizal Lays Down the Basis of the

La Liga Filipina

Unification

of the whole archipelago into a

vigorous, compact body
Mutual protection in every part and necessity
Defense against all forms of violence and
injustice
Stimulation of instruction, agriculture and
commerce
Undertaking of study and application of
reforms

Aims of the La Liga

To

confer with Governor Despujol

regarding his Borneo colonization project
To establish the La Liga Filipina in Manila
To prove that Eduardo de Lete was wrong
in attacking him in Madrid that he, being
comfortable and safe in Hong Kong, had
abandoned the countrys cause.
Published in La Solidaridad

Decision to Return to Manila

Because

of the said writing, Rizal told Mariano

Ponce of his disappointment because Marcelo
H. del Pilar is allowing such comments in the
newspaper

Rizals

relatives and friends opposed to his

plan
Trinidad warned her brother to remain in
Hong Kong for he will be killed in the
Philippines.

He

evidently had a premonition of death

because the day after his birthday, he wrote
two letters, sealed and inscribed in each
envelope TO BE OPENED AFTER MY
DEATH
He gave it to Dr. Marques for safekeeping
The first letter is addressed to Rizals parents,
siblings and friends.
The second letter is addressed to the Filipinos

Rizal spent his 31st Birthday

June

21, 1892 another letter was made

by Rizal addressed to Gov. Gen. Despujol.
In this letter he informed the Governor of
his homecoming and placed himself under
the protection of the Spanish government
Rizal with his sister left Hong Kong for
Manila
They carried a special passport issued by
the Spanish consul general in Hong Kong.

Immediately

after the departure of Rizal,

the consul general sent a cablegram to
Gov. Despujol that the victim is in the
trap
On the same day, a secret case was filed
in Manila against Rizal and his followers
for anti-religious and anti-patriotic
agitation

Rizal Falls into Spanish Trap

Luis

de la Torre secretary of Gov.

Despujol was ordered to find out if Rizal
was naturalized as a German citizen so
that he might take proper action against
one who had the protection of a strong
nation.

June

26, 1892 (12 noon) Rizal and his

sister Lucia arrived in Manila.
They stayed in Hotel de Oriente (Room
22), facing Binondo Church
Governor-General Despujol was visited
by Rizal
Agreed to pardon his father, but not the rest of
his family

Rizals Second Homecoming

Rizal

visited his sisters Narcisa and

Saturnina.
He even visited his friends in Central
Luzon
He boarded a train on June 27 in Tutuban
Station and went to Malolos, San Fernando,
Tarlac and Bacolor.

July

3, 1892
Doroteo Ongjungco a Chinese Filipino
mestizo who lives in Ylaya Street Tondo
His house was the venue of the founding
of the La Liga Filipina

Founding of La Liga Filipina

Pedro

Serrano Laktaw Panday Pira

Domingo Franco Felipe Leal
Jose Ramos Socorro
Ambrosio Salvador
Bonifacio Arevalo Harem
Deodato Arellano
Ambrosio Flores Musa
Agustin de la Rosa
Moises Salvador - Araw

Members

Luis

Villareal Ilaw
Marcelino Crisostomo
Numeriano Adriano Ipil
Estanislao Legaspi
Teodoro Plata
Andres Bonifacio
Apolinario Mabini Katabay
Juan Zulueta -

July

6, 1892 when Rizal came to visit

the Gov. Gen. Despujol, suddenly, he was
showed some printed leaflets which were
allegedly found in Lucias pillow cases

Rizal arrested and jailed

Pobres

Frailes (Poor Friars)

incriminatory leaflets under the authorship
of Fr. Jacinto and printed by the Imprenta
de los Amigos del Pais, Manila.
A satire against the rich Dominican friars who
amassed fabulous riches contrary to their
monastic vow of poverty

Ramon

Despujol nephew of the Gov.

Gen. who escorted Rizal in Fort Santiago
July 7, 1892 Gaceta de Manila published
the arrest of Rizal

Governor

General Despujol ordered the

deportation of Rizal in one of the islands
in the South.
Charges:
Publication and introduction of various antimonastic books and handbills
Travelling through different provinces without
permit from the Governor General
Finding in his luggage the pamphlet Pobres
Frailes which mocked the religious orders

Rizal Deported to Dapitan

 Dedication of the El Filibusterismo to

GOMBURZA
Rizals attempts at de-Catholicizing and denationalizing the Filipino people
Rizal

stayed in Fort Santiago for nine days

before his deportation in Dapitan
July 15, 1892 Rizal boarded the steamer
Cebu, sailing to Dapitan