Water System for Dapitan

Rizal held the title of expert surveyor (perito agremensor), which he obtained from the Ateneo. He
supplemented his training as a surveyor by his reading of engineering books, so that he came to know
about engineering. In Dapitan, he applied his knowledge of the engineering by constructing a system of
waterworks in order to furnish clean water to the townspeople.

Modern engineers marvelled how Rizal could have built such a system of waterworks, for he had
inadequate tools and meagre materials, and his finances were very limited. Without any aid from the
government, he succeeded in giving a good water system in Dapitan.

An American engineer, Mr. H.F Cameron praised Rizal’s engineering feat in the following words:

Another famous and well-known water supply is that of Dapitan, Mindanao, designed and constructed
by Dr. Rizal during his banishment in that municipality by the Spanish authorities… The supply comes
from a little mountain stream across the river from Dapitan and follows the contour of the country for
the whole distance. When one considers that Doctor Rizal had no explosives with which to blast the
hard rocks and no resources save his own ingenuity, one cannot help honor a man, who against adverse
conditions, had the courage and tenacity to construct the aqueduct which had for its bottom the fluted
tiles from the house roofs, and was covered with concrete made from lime burned from the sea coral.
The length of this aqueduct is several kilometres, and it winds in and out among the rocks and is carried
across gullies in bamboo pipes upheld by rocks or brick piers to the distribution reservoir.

Community Projects for Dapitan

When Rizal arrived at Dapitan, he decided to improve it, to the best of his God-given talents, and to
awaken the civic consciousness of its people. He wrote to Fr. Pastells: “I want to do all that I can for this
town.”

Malaria is spread by the mosquitoes which thrive in swampy places. The Php 500 which an English
patient paid him was used to equip the town for a lighting system. This lighting system consisted of
coconut oil lamps placed in the dark streets of Dapitan. Electric lighting was unknown then in the
Philippines. It was not until 1894 when Manila saw the first electric lights.

Another community project was the beautification of Dapitan. With the help of his former Jesuit teacher
and friend Father Sanchez, he remodelled the town plaza in order to enhance its beauty. He jokingly
remarked that he would make it nice so that it could - “Rival the best in Europe.” In front of the church,
Rizal and Father Sanchez made a huge relief map of Mindanao out of earth, stones, and grass. This map
still adorns the town plaza of Dapitan.