RIZAL IN HONG KONG, MACAO, JAPAN, US, LONDON, AND

BRUSSELS
Rizal in Hong Kong and Macau

On February 3, 1888, Rizal left Manila to Hong Kong, then a British colony, on board
Zafiro. Unlike previous trips, he did not visit Amoy, his stopover, because he was sick, it was
raining, and he heard that the city was dirty. He arrived in Hong Kong in 5 days, where he was
greeted by some Filipino residents, such as Jose Maria Basa, Balbino Mauricio, and Manuel
Yriarte. Hiwever, during his stay in Hong Kong, it was believed that he was being spied by Jose
Sainz de Varanda, the former secretary of Governor General Terrero, as commissioned by
Spanish authorities.

On February 18, 1888, on board Kiu-Kiang Rizal visited, together with Basa, the
Portuguese colony Macao. He stayed for two days, and went back to Hong Kong in February
20.

During his stay in Hong Kong, Rizal studied Chinese life and culture. He noted the
celebration of a noisy Chinese New Year, Chinese theatre customs, the marathon lauriat party
(he called the longest meal in the world), the business and riches of the Dominican order, and
the comparison of cemeteries of different religions (Protestants the most beautiful, Catholic the
most pompous, and Muslims the simplest).

On board the Oceanic, he left Hong Kong on February 22, 1888, going to Japan.

Rizal in Japan

Rizal arrived in Yokohama in February 28, 1888 and then to Tokyo the next day, where
he stayed for six days in Tokyo Hotel. During his stay, he was visited by Juan Perez Caballero,
secretary at the Spanish Legation to invite him to stay at the Spanish Legation. He accepted
because he wants to economize his living expenses and because he had nothing to hide from
Spanish authorities.

During his stay in Japan, he was embarrassed because he cannot speak the language
(even though he looked like a Japanese). He decided to study the Japanese language, as well
as kabuki, arts, music, and judo. He also visited different places of Japan.

Japan, according to Rizal, was a beautiful country, with clean, polite, and industrious
people. He also was impressed on Japanese women’s was of dressing and their charm. He
also noted that in Japan there are few thieves, as well as few beggars in the streets. However,
he did not like the way of transportation: rickshaws drawn by men. He remarked that it seemed
inhumane.

Just a few days after he moved to the legation, Rizal saw a beautiful Japanese woman.
He learned from the legation employees that the girl was Seiko Usui. The following day, with
the gardener, Rizal introduced himself to the girl. Rizal was not yet good in Japanese, so the
gardener came to his aid. The girl was amused, and she replied in English (and she can also
speak French), eliminating the language barrier between them.

From that day on, Rizal and O-Sei-San (as he called her), met daily, visiting many sites
in Japan while in with each other’s happy company. Rizal was then frustrated with Leonor
Rivera and imbittered by the Spanish authorities, while O-Sei-San has yet to experience true
love. Rizal saw an ideal woman with O-Sei-San, and O-Sei-San reciprocated Rizal’s love for
her. O-Sei-San became Rizal’s guide, interpreter, and tutor. Because of Rizal’s love for O-Sei-
San, he was almost tempted to stay in Japan. However, he decided to leave the country after
45 days of stay, aboard Belgic on April 13, 1888 bound for United States, to continue his
liberatian mission.

When Rizal left, O-Sei-San mourned for a long time. About a year after Rizal’s death,
she married Mr. Alfred Charlton, a British teacher of chemistry of the Peer’s School in Tokyo.
They were blessed with a daughter named Yuriko, and she died on May 1, 1947, at the age of
80.
Rizal in the United States

Rizal arrived in San Francisco, California on April 28, 1888, but were not allowed to get
out of the ship because of a cholera outbreak in the Far East. The quarantine procedure was
protested by Rizal and other passengers, because they knew that there was no outbreak and
they have been given a clean bill of health. Apparently, the quarantine was motivated by
politics, since the ship carried 643 Chinese workers, who worked for a cheaper salary compared
to white workers. During this supposed quarantine, 700 bales of Chinese silk were allowed to
be landed without fumigation, the ship doctor was allowed to go ashore without protest from
health officials, and custom officials ate on-board the ship.

A week after, on May 4, Rizal and other passengers, except for some Chinese and
Japanese passengers in the second and third class accommodations, were allowed to leave.
He stayed in San Francisco for two days, and went to travel through Oakland, Sacramento, and
Reno, Nevada. On May 13, he reached New York and stayed for three days. He left for
Liverpool on board the City of Rome.

Rizal thought that the United States has material progress, natural beauty, had better
opportunities for the poor immigrants, and its people has drive and energy. However, he
thought the United States also has racial inequality (interracial marriage is not allowed, hatred
for Asians like Chinese, etc.) He said that America is “the land par excellence of freedom but
only for the whites.”

Rizal in London

Rizal traveled to the United Kingdom to improve his English language knowledge, study
and annotate Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (a work published in Mexico in 1609, which
he read and annotated for several months), and be safe from Spanish tyranny.

During his pleasant trip across the Atlantic to Liverpool, he demonstrated how to use the
yo-yo as an offensive weapon and discussed social and political problems to American
newspapermen (which he found to have inadequate knowledge). He arrived on May 24, 1888
and went to London the next day, where he stayed with Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, an exile of
1872, for several days. By the end of May, he boarded with the Beckett family on Primrose Hill
(where he had a romantic interlude with Gertrude, the oldest of the Beckett sisters). During his
stay in London, he also met Dr. Reinhold Rost, librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Malayan languages and customs authority.

During his stay in London, news reached him from the Philippines regarding the
injustices of Spanish authorities to Filipinos, which include the persecution of the Filipino patriots
who signed the “Anti-Friar Petition of 1888” presented by Doroteo Cortes, written by Marcelo del
Pilar addressed to the Queen Regent of Spain, which requested for the expulsion of the friars
like Archbishop Pedro Payo; persecution of Calamba tenants for their agrarian reform petitions;
attacks on Rizal in the Spanish Cortes and newspapers; exile of Manuel Hidalgo, husband of
Saturnina, by Governor General Weyler without due process; and arrest and jailing of Laureano
Viado, friend of Rizal, because a copy of Noli was found in his house. However, it was also
during this time that he heard the defense of Reverend Vicente Garcia on the Noli.

He also visited Paris (early September 1888) to search for historical materials in the
Bibliotheque Nationale, and Madrid and Barcelona on December 1888, where he first met
Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, whom he exchanged ideas with for reforms in the
Philippines. He returned to London on December 24, where he stayed for Christmas and New
Year, his most favorite holidays.

On December 31, 1888, a patriotic society which could cooperate in the crusade for
reforms called Asociacion La Solidaridad was inaugurated. The officers include Galicano
Apacible (president), Graciano Lopez Jaena (vice-president), Manuel Santa Maria (secretary),
Mariano Ponce (treasurer), and Jose Ma. Panganiban (accountant). By unanimous vote, Rizal
became an honorary president of the said society. He advised the society to be tolerant
(especially when opinions are rejected) and to have a great deal of integrity and good will.

Rizal and La Solidaridad

On February 15, 1889, Graciano Lopez Jaena founded La Solidaridad in Barcelona.

This patriotic newspaper which served as the organ of the Propaganda Movement aimed to
work peacefully for political and social reforms, portray conditions in the Philippines so that
Spain may remedy them, oppose evil forces of reaction and medievalism, advocate liberal ideas
and progress, and champion the legitimate aspirations of the Filipino people to life, democracy,
and happiness. In the newspaper, according to del Pilar in his letter to Rizal, Lopez Jaena
writes, corrects proofs, directs printing, distribute copies, and mails copies, while Ponce gathers
data, edits, corrects proofs, writes leads, prepares correspondence, and distributes copies.
Rizal advised Lopez Jaena to only print the truth.

Rizal wrote articles in La Solidaridad, where his first article is called Los Agricultores
Filipinos (The Filiipino Farmers), published on March 25, 1889. This article depicted the
deplorable conditions of Filipinos in the country.

Rizal’s Writings in London

Some writings of Rizal include the following:

1. La Vision del Fray Rodriguez, published in Barcelona under the pen name Dimas Alang.
This work is a satire depicting a dialogue between St. Augustine and Dr. Rodriguez. St.
Augustine was telling Fr. Rodriguez that the former was commissioned by God to tell the
latter of his stupidity and inform the priest to continue writing more stupidity so that all
men may laugh at him. This work demonstrated Rizal’s knowledge on religion and his
biting wit.

2. Letter to the Young Women of Malolos, written in Tagalog in February 22, 1889, upon
the request of del Pilar. The ladies of Malolos established a school so that they could
learn Spanish, despite the opposition of Fr. Felipe Garcia. In his letter, Rizal pointed out
that the Filipino mother should teach her children love of God, fatherland, and mankind;
the Filipino mother should be glad to offer her sons in the defense of the fatherland; the
Filipino woman should know how to preserve her dignity and honor; the Filipino woman
should educate herself while retaining good racial virtues; and faith is living with good
morals and manners, not just reciting prayers and wearing religious pictures.

3. Specimens of Tagal Folklore and Two Eastern Fables, published on June 1889 on the
Trubner’s Record, an Asian studies journal, as requested by Dr. Rost.

Rizal’s Departure from London

Before leaving London, he finished four sculptural works: (1) “Prometheus Bound”, (2)
“The Triumph of Death over Life”, (3) “The Triumph of Science over Death”, and (4) a composite
carving of the heads of the Beckett sisters, and sent the first three to Blumentritt. He left
London on March 19, 1889, for Paris.

Rizal in Paris

Because of the scheduled Universal Exposition of 1889 to open on May 6, 1889, the
rents of rooms in Paris skyrocketed. Rizal had a difficulty finding quarters; he first lived with
Valentin Ventura, but jumped from one hotel room to another. He finally settled in a little room
with two other Filipinos, Justo Trinidad, former gobernadorcillo of Manila and a refugee from
Spanish tyranny, and Jose Albert, a young student from Manila.

Rizal lived a frugal, fruitful, and busy life in Paris. He used his time in Bibliotecheque
Nationale for annotations in Morga’s book, writing to his family, exercising in the gymnasium,
and visiting friends (like de Taveras, Venturas, Bousteads, Lunas, etc.). He even became the
godfather of Juan Luna and Paz Pardo de Tavera, which Rizal named Maria de la Paz, Blanca,
Laureana, Hermenegilda Juana Luna y Pardo de Tavera, or Luling for short.

He even participated on the Exposition (where the Eiffel Tower was the main attraction),
in which he entered a bust. He did not win a prize, but Hidalgo got second, and Luna and
Tavera got third.

During Rizal’s stay in Paris, he founded three societies. These include the following:

1. Kidlat Club, founded on March 19, 1889. This society is a social society to bring
together young Filipinos in France. This society was formed in an hour, and was meant
only to last for the Exposition. Members include the Lunas, Gregorio Aguilera, Fernando
Canon, Lauro Dimayuga, Julio Llorente, Guillermo Puatu, and Baldomero Roxas.

2. Indios Bravos, which replaced the Kidlat Club. This society pledged to excel physically
and intellectually to win admiration of foreigners. Activities include use of sword and
pistol, and Rizal taught them judo. This was inspired by the Buffalo Bull show, which
featured American Indians.

3. Sociedad R.D.L.M., founded during the Expedition. This was a mysterious society, only
mentioned in two letters of Rizal (to Basa and to del Pilar). It was believed that R.D.L.M.
stands for Redencion de los Malayos. The society aimed to propagate all useful
knowledge in the Philippines and to redeem the Malay race. Members include Aguilera,
Llorente, del Pilar, Ponce, Roxas, Jose Ma. Basa, and Father Jose Maria Changco.

His biggest achievement is the publication of his annotated editions of Morga’s Sucesos,
which he dedicated to the Filipino people. This was printed in 1889 (some say in 1890) by
Garnier Freres, with the Prologue written by Blumentritt. Blumentritt commended Rizal for his
work, but censured Rizal on his appraising the events of the past in the light of the present and
his attack on the Church because of the abuses of the friars, which should not be construed as
the Church as bad.

His historiographical work also include the following:

1. Commentaries on Ma-yi (December 6, 1888) and Tawalisi of Ibn Batuta (January 7,

1889)

2. La Politica Colonial on Filipinas (Colonial Policy in the Philippines)

3. Manila en el mes de Diciembre, 1872 (Manila in the Month of December, 1872)

4. Historia de la Familia Rizal de Calamba (History of the Rizal Family of Calamba)

5. Los Pueblos del Archipelago Indico (The Peoples of the Indian Archipelago)

6. Filipinas dentro de Cien Años (The Philippines Within a Century), published in La

Solidaridad on September 30, October 31, December 15, and February 15. This work
expressed his views on Spanish colonization and predicted accurately its end. He
described the glorious past of the Filipinos, and how under the Spanish rule the
economy stagnated and the people became unhappy.

7. Sobre la Indolencia de los Filipinos, published in La Solidaridad on July 15, July 31,
August 1, August 31, and September 1, 1890. This work is a defense of the alleged
indolence of the Filipino people. Rizal pointed out that before the arrival of the
Spaniards, Filipinos were industrious and hard-working. However, when the Spaniards
arrived, the Filipinos have to abandon their industries. Decline in economic life was
caused by certain causes, which includes native revolts and internal disorders; wars
fought by Filipinos for Spain; raids by Muslim pirates; forced labor; lack of stimulus to
work harder; government neglect on agriculture, industry, and commerce; bad example
shown by Spaniards in despising manual labor; teaching of Spanish missionaries that
the poor can enter heaven easier than the rich; propagation of gambling; and Spanish
system of education that did not promote economic enterprise and activity.
 Rizal also proposed to establish an “International Association of Filipinologists” in 1889
and to have its inaugural convention in Paris. The aim is to study the Philippines from the
scientific and historical point of view. The officers include Blumentritt (president), Plauchut
(vice-president), Rost (counsellor), Regidor (counsellor), and Rizal (secretary. The schedules
inauguration was August 1889, but did not materialize because the French government
discouraged holding of private conferences during the Exposition.

Rizal also planned to establish a modern college in Hong Kong to train and educate men
of good family and financial means in accordance with the demands of modern times and
circumstances. The curriculum include ethics, study of religion, natural law, civil law,
deportment, hygiene, mathematics, physics and chemistry, natural history, geography, political
economy, universal history, Philippine history, logic, rhetoric and poetics, Spanish, English,
French, German, Chinese, Tagalos, gymnastics, equitation, fencing, swimming, music, drawing,
and dancing. Unfortunately, the plan did not materialize.

In the fall of 1889 he wrote, as Dimas Alang, Por Telefono, a satirical booklet published
in Barcelona, as a reply to Fr. Salvador Font, who masterminded the banning of Noli. The work
is a telephone conversation between Fr. Font in Madrid and the father provincial of the San
Agustin Convent in Manila.

He left Paris for Brussels on January 28, 1890. Before this, he visited Paris first to check
up his annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos and see Gertrude Beckett for the last time.

Rizal in Brussels

Rizal left Paris for Brussels because of the high cost of living and the life in Paris is
hampering his literary works (some of his friends, however, thought he was running away from a
girl). When Ventura learned the reasons for his leaving, he offered for Rizal to live with him for
free, but Rizal refused.

In Brussels, together with Jose Albert, Rizal boarded in a house by Suzanne and Marie
Jacoby. When Albert left, he was replaced by Jose Alejandro. During his stay, he wrote El
Filibusterismo, articles for La Solidaridad, and letters to friends and family. He also spent in a
medical clinic, go to the gymnasium for gymnastics, and armory for fencing and target practice.

Among his articles that he wrote in Brussels in La Solidaridad include:

1. A La Defensa (To La Defensa), published April 30, 1889, as a reply to Patricio de la

Escosura’s anti-Filipino writing in La Defensa on March 30, 1889.

2. La Verdad Para Todos (The Truth for All), published May 31, 1889, as a defense against
Spanish charges that the native locals were ignorant and depraved.

3. Vicente Barrante’s Teatro Tagalo, published June 15, 1889, which exposed Barrante’s
ignorance on Tagalog theatrical art.

4. Una Profanacion (A Profanation), published July 31, 1889, as an attack against friars
denying Herbosa’s Christian burial.

5. Verdad Nuevas (New Truths), published July 31, 1889, as a reply to Vicente Belloc
Sanchez’s letter published in La Patria on July 4, 1889, about the granting of reforms in
Philippines will ruin the rule of the friars.

6. Crueldad (Cruelty), published August 15, 1889, which is a defense of Blumentritt from
his enemies.

7. Differencias (Differences), published September 15, 1889, as a reply to the article Old
Truths published in La Patria on August 14, 1889 which ridiculed Filipinos for asking
reforms.
 8. Inconsequencias (Inconsequences), published November 30, 1889, as a defense of
Antonio Luna against Pablo Mir Deas in a Barcelano newspaper El Pueblo Soberano.

9. Llanto y Risas (Tears and Laughter), published November 30, 1889, which is a
denunciation of Spanish racial prejudice against Filipinos.

10. Ingratitudes (Ingratitude), published January 15, 1890, as a reply to Governor General
Weyler who told people in Calamba that they should be allowed to be deceived by
promises of their ungrateful sons.

11. Sobre la Nueva Ortografia de la Lengua Tagala (The New Ortography of the Tagalog
Language), published April 15, 1890, which laid down the rules of new Tagalog
ortography which he credited from Trinidad Pardo de Tavera (who published El
Sanscrito en la Lengua Tagala). Rizal was the first one to advocate the Filipinization of
Tagalog ortography (such as the use of k and w, instead of c and o).

While in Brussels, he received news from Luna and Ventura that the Filipinos in Spain
gambled too much. He was urged by the two to do something about it. He wrote to del Pilar
about it, and Filipinos were angry about his moralizing, derisively calling him “Papa” instead of
“Pepe”.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the Dominicans continually raised the rents that Don
Francisco refused paying them, which was followed by other tenants. This caused Paciano,
Antonio Lopez, and Silvestre Ubaldo to be deported to Mindoro and Manuel Hidalgo to Bohol.

All of these contributed to his bad dreams and his belief that he will not live past 30. He
was motivated to finish everything he needed to finish. He planned to go home. He expressed
this to a letter to Lopez Jaena (who was then planning to go to Cuba, which Rizal discouraged)
and Ponce. His friends, however, discouraged him to do so, afraid for what would happen if he
did.

However, his decision changed when he received a letter from Paciano, which stated
that they lost their case against the Dominicans and planned to appeal it to the Supreme Court
in Spain. Rizal wrote to del Pilar to get his services as his lawyer. He then decided to go to
Madrid.

His preparation to go to Madrid was motivated by sadness, but during this time, the
Belgian summertime festival and his romance with Petite Jacoby, the niece of his landladies,
brought him cheers. When Rizal left by the end of July 1890, Petite cried.