RIZAL-MIDTERM REVIEWER |1
UNIT 6 Rizal shared his blessings with his
RIZAL’S FIRST HOMECOMING, 2ND
TRAVEL ABROAD TO JAPAN,
INTERLUDE SIDE TRIP TO THE USA
A. THE 1st HOMECOMING
In August 1886, Rizal decided to return
to the Philippines. He left Rome by train
for Marseilles, and boarded the Djemnah
bound to Saigon.
On July 30, 1886, Rizal arrived in
Saigon, where he transferred to the
steamer Haifong.
On August 6, 1886, Rizal arrived in
Manila. He noticed that Manila has not
changed that much.
On August 7, 1886, he reached
Calamba, where there was a dramatic
meeting. After a few days, Rizal turned
the ground floor of their house into a
medical clinic. His first patient was his
mother who could hardly see. He
successfully restored the eyesight of his
mother who had double cataracts.
The good news spread like wildfire as
many sick people flock to seek medical
help. His professional fee was very
simple: If the patient is poor, a simple
“thank you” is enough. Some patients
gave him vegetables, fruits, chickens, etc.
If the patient is rich, he would charge in
the European way. The people called him
Dr. Uleman having arrived from Germany.
townmates. He built a gymnasium for the
youth to discourage them from engaging
in different forms of gambling. He wanted
them to spend time on productive
activities.
Unfortunately, Rizal failed to see Leonor
during his six months vacation due to the
conflicts between his parents and Leonor.
Noli Me Tangere Controversy
Rizal received an invitation, a summons,
a writ commanding the sheriff, or another
authorized officer, to notify a party to
appear in court to answer a complaint
made against him and in the said writ
specified, on a day therein mentioned
from Governor-General Emilio Terrero
regarding the novel which has become a
hot issue. He went to Malacañang to
answer any questions surrounding his
novel. He denied that he was a spy from
Germany. He explained that he was only
expressing the truth of what is going on in
society in his novel. The Governor was
satisfied with his answer and asked for a
copy of the novel since he had not read
the novel himself.
Rizal’s enemies kept doing everything to
persecute him. They accused the novel to
have subversive ideas against the church
and the Spanish government.
The kind Governor assigned a bodyguard
for Rizal, to protect him from danger. His
bodyguard was a young Spanish
Lieutenant, Don Jose Taviel de Andrade.

The two became true friends in no time at
all because they have common interests.
The powerful friars put the novel under
strict scrutiny headed by Manila
Archbishop Msgr. Pedro Payo. He sent a
copy to the UST Fr. Rector Gregorio
Echevarria for examination. The latter
found the novel heretical, impious, and
scandalous.
The Governor sent the novel for further
assessment to the Permanent
Commission on Censorship composed of
priests and laymen headed by Fr.
Salvador Font, the Tondo parish priest.
The body found the novel with subversive
ideas against the Church and the Spanish
government. The Commission
recommended that the book be banned
and have its circulation in the islands be
totally stopped. The move boomeranged
because it only made the Filipinos more
curious in reading the novel. Thus, the
novel’s price was exorbitantly priced. No
arrests were made, thanks to the liberal-
minded governor.
Rizal’s Enemies from the Church
Among Rizal’s enemies was Manila
Archbishop Msgr. Pedro Payo, UST
Rector Fr. Gregorio Echevarria, Fr.
Salvador Font- head of the Permanent
Commission on Censorship.
Fr. Jose Rodriguez published an anti-Noli
pamphlet entitled “Caiingat Cayo.” The
pamphlet stated that “whoever reads the
novel commits a mortal sin.”
RIZAL-MIDTERM REVIEWER |2
Another attacker of the Noli was Vicente
Barrantes, a Spanish writer who openly
criticized the novel in the Spanish
newspaper La Esperanza Moderna.
Allies of Dr. Jose Rizal
Meanwhile, Rizal also had allies like
Marcelo H. Del Pilar- using the pen name
Dolores Manapat, who published a
pamphlet entitled “Caiigat Cayo” that
refuted and ridiculed Fr. Rodriguez’
“Caiingat Cayo.”
The other one was Fr. Francisco
Sanchez, Rizal’s beloved Ateneo teacher.
Calamba Agrarian Problem
On 6 September 1890, General Weyler
began enforcing the will of the
Dominicans by sending artillery and
military forces to Calamba which started
to demolish the house of Rizal’s parents.
Rizal’s brother and brothers-in-law were
arrested and exiled to different places in
the archipelago. On the first day, 60
families were thrown out of their houses
and the sugar mills and all other buildings
they had erected were destroyed. The
Dominicans forbade the rest of the
townspeople to give the unfortunate
lodging and hospitality. By the end of
September, 400 tenants had been
evicted.
The liberal governor-general Terrerro was
at that time replaced by the conservative
general Valeriano Weyler in 1888. He
was completely on the side of the

Dominicans. One of his first acts was to
enforce the court ruling for the eviction of
the tenants. The first to be evicted was
the Rizal family.
The Dominicans put pressure on
Malacañang to eliminate Rizal. Governor-
general Terrero advised Rizal to leave the
Philippines for his own good.
The friars were furious because they were
attacked on their most sensitive point:
money! The report never reached the
desk of the governor-general. The
Dominicans responded by filing an action
for eviction against the Calamba tenants.
However, when the justice of the Peace
of Calamba ruled in favor of the tenants,
the Dominicans immediately brought the
case to the Supreme Court in Manila,
which immediately decided in the
Dominican’s favor. The tenants and the
Rizal family had no recourse but to
appeal their case to the Supreme Court in
Madrid.
Rizal advised his family to stop paying the
rent. The rest of the Calamba tenants
followed suit and with Rizal’s
encouragement, petitioned the
government to intervene by authorizing
and supervising the drawing up of a new
contract between the people of Calamba
and the Dominican landowners.
Dominican Corruption and Financial
Deceit on a Massive Scale
The original hacienda owned by the
Jesuits consisted of only a small part of
RIZAL-MIDTERM REVIEWER |3
the land and included only a part of the
town, but the Dominicans had claimed a
much more extensive area, no less than
the whole town and its surrounding fields.
The Dominicans were paying the
government only the income tax due on
the original smaller hacienda.
Rizal wrote down his findings, which were
signed by the tenants in January 1888,
and he submitted the report to the
government.
The friars wanted to withhold the tenants,
to tell the truth. The Rizal family as well
as the other Calamba tenants wanted to
tell the truth. The tenants asked Rizal to
draft a report for the town council. Rizal
asked his town mates to supply him with
all the relevant facts about the estate from
the very beginning. Rizal had not
anticipated but he soon became the
center of the tenant’s struggle against the
Dominicans.
It started innocently. On 30th December
1887, when the government, wondering
why the revenue paid by the Dominicans
Order had remained constant despite the
ever-increasing size of cultivated lands,
formally asked the Calamba town council
to determine whether there had been any
increase in the products and the size of
the Dominican estate over the past three
years.
What came out was a horror story of
Dominican corruption and financial deceit
on a massive scale. The original hacienda
owned by the Jesuits consisted of only a

small part of the land and included only a
part of the town, but the Dominicans had
claimed a much more extensive area, no
less than the whole town and its
surrounding fields. The Dominicans were
paying the government only the income
tax due on the original smaller hacienda.
Ownership of the Calamba hacienda was
passed on to the Dominicans after the
Jesuits, who originally owned it, was
expelled in 1768. The Dominicans owned
practically all the lands around Calamba.
The tenants suffered for many years due
to the unjustified taxes they had to pay.
Even if there was an economic crisis or
the harvest was bad, the rent and taxes
still went up. The tenants suffered under
the friars.
B. RIZAL’S 2ND TRAVEL ABROAD
Hounded by powerful enemies, Rizal was
forced to leave his country for the second
time in 1888. He was 27 years old, a
practicing physician, and a recognized
man of letters.
Rizal in Hong Kong and Macau
Amoy, in Hong Kong, was the first
stopover of the ship. After six months of
staying in the Philippines, Rizal left via the
steamer Zafiro bound for Hong Kong.
Rizal did not get off the ship for the
following reasons: (a) He was not
feeling well. (b) It was raining hard. (c) He
heard that the city is dirty.
RIZAL-MIDTERM REVIEWER |4
Hong Kong is a British colony by that
time. Rizal stayed in the Victoria Hotel.
There he met Jose Maria Basa, Balbino
Mauricio, and Manuel Yriarte (son of the
alcalde mayor in Calamba)
Jose Sainz de Varanda, a Spaniard and
former secretary of Governor-General
Terrero shadowed Rizal’s movement in
Hong Kong. It is believed that he was
commissioned by the Spanish authorities
to spy on Rizal.
According to Rizal in his letter to
Blumentritt, Hong Kong is a small, but
very clean city. Many Portuguese,
Hindus, English, Chinese, and Jews live
here. There are some Filipinos exiled in
Marianas Islands since 1872. They were
former financiers and rich but now are
poor, gentle and timid.
Rizal also Visited Macau, a Portuguese
colony near Hong Kong. Rizal together
with Basa boarded a ferry named Kiu-
Kiang going to Macau. Curiously, Jose
Sainz de Varanda is among the
passengers. Rizal and Basa visited Don
Juan Francisco Lecaros, a Filipino
gentleman who is married to a
Portuguese lady. Rizal and Basa stayed
in his house for two days while they were
in Macau.
During Rizal’s two-week vacation in Hong
Kong, he studied Chinese life, language,
drama, and customs and found out the
following which he wrote in his diary:

 The celebration of the Chinese
New Year was quite very noisy
due to the continuous explosion of
firecrackers on the streets.
 The Lauriat party, wherein the
guests were served a variety of
dishes, shows lavishness and
hospitality among the Chinese.
 The Dominican Order, the richest
religious order in Hong Kong, had
millions of dollars deposited in
various banks earning very high
interest.
 The graveyards for Catholics,
Protestants, and Muslims were
well maintained.
C. RIZAL in JAPAN, the Land of the
Cherry Blossoms
Rizal left Hong Kong on board of the
Oceanic, an American steamer on his
way to Japan. He arrived in Yokohama,
Japan, and stayed for one day in the
Grand Hotel.
After spending a day in Yokohama, Rizal
went to Tokyo and stayed in Tokyo Hotel
for five days. Juan Perez Caballero –
secretary of the Spanish legation visited
him in the hotel inviting him to stay in the
Spanish legation. Knowing that it is a plot
to monitor him, Rizal accepted the offer
for the following reasons:
 He could economize his living
expenses
RIZAL-MIDTERM REVIEWER |5
 He had nothing to hide from the
prying eyes of the Spanish
authorities.
 He and Caballero became good
friends.
In Japan, Rizal was embarrassed
because he did not know how to speak
Nihonggo (Japanese Language) He was
mistakenly considered as a Europeanized
Japanese because he looks like a
Japanese and yet speaks in different
tongues.
Rizal’s Impression of Japan
 The scenic beauty of the country
 The cleanliness, politeness, and
industry of the Japanese people.
 The picturesque dress and simple
charm of the Japanese women.
 There were a few thieves in
Japan.
 Beggars are rarely seen in the city
streets.
 Rickshaw, a popular mode of
transportation which he did not
like in Japan.
Rizal and O-Sei-San
Seiko Usui, more fondly called O-Sei-
San, is a former samurai’s daughter of 23
years old who had never experienced true
love. She is a woman of beauty, charm,
modesty and intelligence. She speaks
French and English fluently.

When Rizal first introduced himself to her,
he took off his hat as a sign of respect (A
German custom).
O-Sei-San was more than Rizal’s
girlfriend, for she was his guide,
interpreter and tutor. She improved his
knowledge of the Japanese language.
She eases the pain left by Leonor Rivera.
Rizal fell greatly in love with O-Sei-San
that he was tempted to leave the
Philippines and settle down in Japan. He
was offered a job in the Spanish Legation
but his brother Paciano wrote to him
reminding him of his duty and why he left
the Philippines in the first place.
Rizal left Japan via the ship Belgic, an
English steamer in Yokohama bound for
the United States. It ended 45 days of his
unforgettable stay in Japan and his
relationship with O-Sei-San.
O-Sei-San after Rizal’s Departure
Alfred Charlton became the husband of
O-Sei-San in 1897, one year after Rizal
was executed. He was a British teacher of
chemistry in Peers’ School in Tokyo. They
had a daughter named Yuriko, who
married a son of a Japanese senator.
Seiko-Usui died in 1947 at age 80 and
was buried beside her husband.
D. RIZAL in the UNITED STATES
Rizal in steamer Belgic met a semi-
Filipino family, Mr. Reinaldo Turner and
his wife Emma Jackson, their children,
and maid from Pangasinan. He also met
RIZAL-MIDTERM REVIEWER |6
Tetcho Suehiro, a fighting Japanese
journalist, novelist, champion of human
rights, who was forced by the government
to leave Japan.
Tetcho Suehiro became a member of the
Japanese Imperial Diet (Parliament). He
wrote two novels: Nankai-no-Daiharan
(Storm over the South Sea) in 1891
resembling Noli Me Tangere and O-
unabara (The Big Ocean) in 1894,
resembling El Filibusterismo. He died in
1896 at age 49 due to a heart attack.
Via the steamer Belgic, Rizal arrived in
San Francisco, USA on April 28, 1888.
According to the Americans, Cholera was
an epidemic raging in the Far East. Thus,
all passengers are quarantined for safety.
But, Rizal was surprised because there is
no outbreak of the disease in the Far
East, thus he joined other passengers in
protest. In actuality, there were 643
Chinese coolies who boarded the ship
from China and came as illegal migrants
wanting to displace the White laborers in
railroad construction camps. But Rizal
was questioning how come 700 bolts of
silk were unloaded without fumigation.
After a week Rizal together with other
first-class passengers was permitted to
land. But the Japanese and the Chinese
and passengers belonging to the second
and thirds class remained aboard.
Rizal stayed in the Palace Hotel (then a
first-class hotel) in San Francisco. He
stayed there for two days. Grover
 RIZAL-MIDTERM REVIEWER |7

Cleveland was the president when Rizal
visited the United States. There he met
Leland Stanford, the founder, and
benefactor of Stanford University who
was then a senator representing
California.
Rizal Toured the United States
 Oakland, California was the first
stop via ferryboat.
 Via train Sacramento, where he
ate his supper for 75 cents and
slept on his couch.
 Reno, Nevada, where he had his
breakfast
 Utah, where he saw Mormons,
thickly populated
 Colorado, a lot of snow and pine
trees
 Nebraska, Omaha City, as big as
San Francisco
 Missouri River, twice as big as the
Pasig River
 Chicago, a lot of Indians in cigar
stores
 Albany, where he saw the Hudson
River
 New York, which he considers a
big city, where he stayed for three
days.
 Material progress of the country
as shown in its cities, farms, and
industries
 The drive and energy of the
Americans
 The natural beauty of the land
 The high standard of living
 The opportunities for better life
offered to poor immigrants.
 America for Rizal was the land par
excellence of freedom but only for
the Whites.
 Non-existence of true civil liberty,
as Negro cannot marry an
American and vice versa.
 The existence of racial prejudice
as shown in their hatred of the
Chinese, Japanese, and Negroes.
 The valuing of money over human
life

He left the United States for Liverpool,

London on board the City of Rome, the
second largest ship in the world. Great
Eastern was the largest ship in the world
during his time.
UNIT 7
RIZAL’S IMPRESSIONS OF AMERICA STUDIES IN LONDON, PARIS

EXPOSITION, LIFE IN BRUSSELS,
BELGIUM
A. STUDIES IN LONDON (1888-
1889)
The trip across the Atlantic
After visiting the United States, Rizal
boarded the S.S. The City Of Rome en
route to London. While on board, he
entertained the American and European
passengers with his skill of the yoyo.
He was to stay in London from May 1888
to March 1889
Why did he choose to stay in London?
 To improve his knowledge of the
English language
 To study and annotate Antonio de
Morga’s Sucesos de Las Islas
Filipinas
 London was a safe place for him
to carry out his fight against
Spanish tyranny
He reached Queenstown in Ireland on
May 24, 1888. From there, he embarked
on a ferry boat going to Liverpool,
England, and stayed at Adelphi Hotel.
By train, he arrived in London on May 25,
1888. Upon his arrival, he stopped at
Grand Hotel Midland.
He stayed, as a guest, at the home of Dr.
Antonio Ma. Regidor, an 1872 exile and a
practicing lawyer. He transferred to a
private home in No. 37 Chalcot Crescent,
RIZAL-MIDTERM REVIEWER |8
Primrose Hill. This is owned by the
Beckett Family.
Mr. Beckett, an organist of St. Paul’s
Church, and Mrs. Beckett had 4
daughters (Gertrude, Blanche, Flory and
Grace) and 2 sons.
Rizal came to know Dr. Reinhold Rost
through a letter from Dr. Ferdinand
Blumentritt. He was the Librarian of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Rost was
an Authority on the Malayan language
and customs. He called Rizal “a pearl of a
man” as he was impressed by his
learning and character
Bad News from Home
After Rizal left the country, the
persecution of the Filipino patriots who
signed the Anti-Friar Petition in 1888
escalated. The Calamba Agrarian Conflict
of 1888 in which the tenants, including
Rizal’s family, were being persecuted by
the Dominicans.
Manuel T. Hidalgo (husband of Saturnina)
was exiled to Bohol while Mariano
Herbosa (husband of Lucia) was denied
of Christian burial because of the
malicious rumor that he had not
confessed since marriage.
Laureano Viado, a medical student at
UST and a friend of Rizal, was
imprisoned because of owning a copy of
Noli Me Tangere.
Good News from Home

Rev. Vicente Garcia defended the Noli
Me Tangere against the attack of the
friars. He heard this news from Mariano
Ponce. On January 7, 1891, Rizal wrote
to Father Garcia expressing his personal
gratitude.
Short Visit to Paris and Spain
Early in September 1888, Rizal visited
Paris for a week in order to search for
more historical materials in the
Bibliotheque Nationale. On December 11,
1888, Rizal went to Madrid and Barcelona
in Spain to meet with Marcelo H. Del Pilar
and Mariano Ponce
Christmas in London
Rizal returned to London on December
24, 1888, and spent Christmas and New
Year’s Eve with the Becketts. He was
extremely delighted to experience the
holiday season. He reflected on the
meaning of the holiday as it reminded him
of memorable days not just from his
childhood but also from history. “How it
shocks me to see some people misuse
His name to commit many crimes.”
Rizal sent to Blumentritt as a Christmas
gift a bust of Emperor Augustus which he
had made. As another present, he sent to
Dr. Carlos Czepelak a bust of Julius
Caesar. Mrs. Beckett, knowing of his
interest in magic, gave Rizal a book
entitled “The Life and Adventures of
Valentine Vox, the Ventriloquist.”
Annotating Morga’s Book
RIZAL-MIDTERM REVIEWER |9
Annotating and studying the Sucesos de
las Islas Filipinas (1609) was the main
goal of Rizal in the English capital.
Antonio De Morga. Annotate means to
supply critical or explanatory notes;
comment upon in notes.
 Antonio Pigafetta Chronicler of the
Magellan expedition
 Gaspar De San Agustin Conquista
de Las islas Filipinas
 Other Historical Accounts. All
three mentioned about early
Filipino Life and Industry
o Early Filipinos already
engaged in trade with other
Asian nations
o The dominant religion of
Manila and Visayan town was
Islam.
o There was already a
government
Aims of La Solidaridad
 To establish reform for our country
 To show the unfortunate
conditions in the Philippines
committed by the Spaniards
 To promote free and progressive
ideas
 To implement the patriotic vision
of the Filipinos
Rizal published his work Los Agricultores
Filipinos (The Filipino Farmers) on March
25, 1889, 6 days after he left London for
Paris. This was his first article in La
Solidaridad.

Rizal received news on Fray Rodriguez’s
attack on his novel Noli Me Tangere. He
wrote a pamphlet entitled La Vision del
Fray Rodriguez which was published in
Barcelona under his pen name Dimas-
Alang.
Letter to the Young Women of Malolos
In this article, Rizal addressed Filipino
women to work for their education and not
to merely be influenced by the friars.
Dr. Rost, the editor of Trubners’ Record, a
journal devoted to Asian studies,
requested Rizal to contribute some
articles. Rizal submitted (1) a Specimen
of Tagala Folklore and (2) Two Eastern
Fables.
By unanimous vote of all the members,
Rizal was chosen to be the president of a
society called Asociacion La Solidaridad.
Goodbye, London
Rizal was forced to leave London
because Gertrude’s love for him has
become serious. He could not take
advantage of her affection and she would
not be happy because Rizal was still in
love with Leonor Rivera. He decided to
move to Paris so she would forget about
her.
Before leaving London, Rizal finished
four sculptural works:
 Prometheus Bond
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 10
 The Triumph of Death over Life
 A composite carving of the heads
of the Beckett sisters (given as a
farewell gift to the Beckett sisters)
 The Triumph of Science over
Death
On March 19, 1889, Rizal departed for
Paris. He was sad as he crossed the
English Channel for, he had many
beautiful memories of London.
B.THE PARIS UNIVERSAL
EXPOSITION (1889)
The Exposition Universale Held in Paris,
France from May 6 to October 31, 1889.
The fair attracted exhibits from Europe,
South America, the United States, and
French colonies, yet it really was a
celebration of French achievements on
the centennial of the French Revolution.
Because of the thousands of tourists,
almost all hotel accommodations were
taken.
But he finally lived together with other
Filipinos, Justo Trinidad and Jose Albert.
In the exposition, there was this
International Art Competition where Felix
Hidalgo won the 3rd prize, Pardo de
Tavera and Juan Luna won the 2nd prize,
and, unfortunately, Rizal got nothing.
He spent his time in Bibliotheque
Nationale, reading and checking with his
historical annotations of Morga’s book. He
visited his friends like the Boustead’s,
Luna’s, Tavera’s, etc. He also organized
societies with his fellow Filipinos.

Kidlat Club
The Kidlat Club was founded on March
19, 1889. The purpose was to enjoy their
journey in the exposition.
It was called Kidlat because this was only
a temporary group. The members include
Antonio and Juan Luna, Gregorio
Aguilera, Fernando Canon, Lauro
Dimayuga, Julio Llorente, Guillermo
Puatu, and Baldomero Roxas. Later, the
group’s name was changed to Indios
Bravos which purpose was to stand and
not be ashamed of being called Indios.
William Frederick Cody a.k.a. Buffalo Bill,
founder and performer of Wild West
shows Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show in
1890 which presented the skills and life of
American Indians became the inspiration
of Rizal in naming his one societal club as
Indios Bravos.
Another group known only as R.D.L.M.
which stands for Redencion de Los
Malayos was also formed. Its purposes
were: (a) to propagate useful knowledge,
in any form, in the Philippines; and (b) to
promote the redemption of the Malayan
race. This group’s members don’t know
each other, and Rizal doesn’t know them
as well. It’s still a mystery. * Mentioned in
the letters of Rizal to Jose Maria Basa on
Sept. 21, 1889, and to Marcelo H. del
Pilar on November 4, 1889
Annotated Edition of Morga’s book
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 11
Although this was an outstanding
achievement of Rizal, there were still
some errors:
1. Commits the error in appraising
the history of the past in the light
of the present standard
2. Rizal’s attacks on the church were
unfair and unjustified because the
abuses should not be construed to
mean the Catholics is bad.
Plan to Establish Filipino College in
Hong Kong
Rizal planned to establish a Filipino
College in Hong Kong. The purpose was
to educate men of good family and
financial means.
Mariano Cunanan promised to raise
P40,000 as an initial payment for this
college.
Its curriculum consists of: 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, Poetics Spanish, English,
French, German, Chinese, Tagalog
Gymnastics, Equitation, Fencing,
Swimming, Music, Drawing and Dancing.
Rizal had been coming back and forth
from Paris to London, then Paris at last,
with his aim to check up or compare on
his annotation of Morga’s book to its

original copy found in the British museum.
(January 1890)
C. LIFE IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
On January 28, 1890, Rizal left Paris for
Brussels, Belgium. Two reasons why
Rizal left Paris:
 The cost of living in Paris was very
high because of the Universal
Exposition.
 The gay social life of the city
hampered his literary works,
especially the writing of his
second novel El Filibusterismo.
While in Brussels, he lived in Rue
Philippe run by 2 Jacoby sisters (Suzanne
and Marie). He was busy writing El Fili
and articles for the La Solidaridad.
Despite of his European education and
his knowledge of foreign languages, Rizal
loved his own native language. He was
the 1st to advocate to the Filipinization of
our letters c and o and use instead K and
w.
Rizal received news from Juan Luna and
Valentin Ventura, that there are some
Filipinos who were destroying the
reputation of Filipinos by gambling too
much. Thus, he wrote a letter addressed
to Del Pilar, to remind the Filipinos in
Madrid that they did not come to Europe
to gamble, but to work for their
Fatherland’s freedom. The gambling
Filipinos were angry when they learned or
Rizal’s moralizing. They called him
“PAPA” instead of Pepe.
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 12
Rizal received bad news from home as
follows:
 Paciano and his brother-in-law
were deported to Mindoro
 M. Hidalgo vanished for the 2nd
time to Bohol
In his moment of despair, Rizal had bad
dreams. And although he was not
superstitious, he feared that he would not
live long. But he wanted to finish his 2nd
novel El Fili before he went to his grave.
In his letter to MH Del Pilar, he said: In
my childhood, I had a strange belief that I
would not reach 30 years of age In the
face of suffering, Rizal planned to go
home. All his friends objected to his plan
and warned him of the danger that
awaited him at home. Something
happened that changed his decision and
he informed MH Del Pilar that he was
going to Madrid to supervise the handling
of the case of his family in Calamba.
While in Brussels, he wrote a poem
entitled “A Mi Musa” (to My Muse) a
pathetic poem, lack of exquisiteness.
While he was preparing for his trip to
Madrid, two things brought some
measure of cheers. The summertime
festival of Belgium was celebrated in
carnival style, with colorful costumes, and
fantastic floats.
His romance with Petite Jacoby, the
pretty niece of his landladies Rizal was so
charming and dignified gentleman that
Suzanne was attracted to him. He was
 R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 13

lonely in a strange country and Leonor HONGKONG MEDICAL PRACTICE,

Rivera was so far away. He found certain BORNEO COLONIZATION PROJECT
bliss in the company of a pretty Belgian
girl. A. SAD EXPERIENCES IN EUROPE

Like all the other girls in Rizal's life, Misfortunes in Madrid

Suzanne fell in love with Rizal. And she August, 1890, Rizal arrived in Madrid. He
cried when he left for Madrid. immediately secured the help of the
Articles Published in La Solidaridad: Filipino colony and the association of the
Hispano-Filipino and the liberal Spanish
1. La Defensa newspaper. In securing justice for the
2. La Verdad Para Todos oppressed Calamba tenants including his
3. Vicente Barrantes family. Together with MH Del Pilar (acted
4. Profanacion as his lawyer) and Dr. Dominador Gomez
5. Verdades (secretary of the association) called on
6. Nuevas the Minister of Colonies to protest the
7. Crueldad injustices committed against the Calamba
8. Diferencias tenants.
9. Inconsequencias
10. Llanto y Risas Nothing came out of Rizal's interview.
11. Ingratitudes More terrible news reached Rizal as he
was waging a futile war for justice. He
learned that there was already an
ejectment order against Rizal's family and
the other Calamba tenants. He further
learned that their parents were forcibly
ejected from their homes and were then
living in the house of Narcisa. He even
sought the help of liberal Spanish
statesmen but he was again
disappointed. They just gave him
honeyed words of sympathy and nothing
else.

UNIT 8 Blumentritt urged him to talk with Queen

SAD EXPERIENCES IN EUROPE, Regent Maria Cristina (the ruler of Spain).
RIZAL’S 2ND HOMECOMING, But he could not because he had neither

powerful friends to bring him to the queen
nor gold to grease the palms of influential
courtiers. Another disappointment
happened when his friend Jose Ma.
Panganiban died in Barcelona after
lingering illness.
Towards the end of August, Rizal
attended a social reunion. At that time
Antonio Luna was bitter because of his
frustrated romance with Nellie Boustead.
He was blaming Rizal for his failure to win
her. In a fit of jealousy, caused by his
alcohol be-fogged mind, he uttered
unsavory remarks about Nellie.
Rizal overheard him and due to his high
regards to women. Angrily he challenged
Luna to a duel. The Filipinos was shocked
and tried to pacify Rizal and Luna pointing
that it could damage their cause in Spain.
Luna when he became sober realized that
he made afoul of himself and apologized
to Rizal.
On another occasion, he challenged
another man to a duel -Wenceslao
Retaña, his bitter enemy of the pen. He
wrote in his article that the friends of Rizal
had not paid their rents so that they were
ejected from their lands in Calamba. Such
insult stirred Rizal to action, he
challenged Retaña to a duel and he said
that Retaña's blood or his apology could
vindicate the good blame of Rizal's family
and friends.
Retaña to save his own skin, he
published a retraction and an apology in
the newspaper after being warned of
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 14
Rizal's superior skills in both pistol and
sword.
End of 11-Year Engagement
Amidst Rizal’s frustrations in Madrid, he
received a letter from Leonor Rivera, his
girlfriend for 11 years informing him that
she was getting married. It pained his
heart greatly. He still loved Leonor
despite having courted girls before. He
grew pale and sickly having been jilted by
Leonor.
In his letter to Blumentritt, he accused
Leonor of infidelity. His love turned to
hatred.
Galicano Apacible, a UST friend,
consoled him by saying there are many
girls in the world. He informed Rizal that
the daughter of Pi y Margall, was deeply
in love with him, ready to marry him.
On Leonor’s side, she was mad at Rizal
having been very quiet. She said that she
still loved Rizal, that her decision to marry
was not because she no longer loved
him. She did it because she thought Rizal
no longer loved her. 11 years of waiting
was too long. Leonor wasn’t getting
younger and lamented the fact that Rizal
didn’t bother to see her. Rizal could have
misunderstood her. Leonor married Henry
Kipping, an Englishman in Manila.
The Leader of All Filipinos
(Responsible)
In a banquet at Calle de Atocha some
Filipinos proposed for the creation of a

movement to bind the colony together. A
leader called “Responsible” would be the
official representative of all Filipinos
abroad. Rizal felt he would be the rightful
person.
Others thought otherwise. They
endorsed MH del Pilar’s candidacy. In the
1st meeting, Eduardo de Lete presided.
Rizal was in favor of the creation of a new
movement. Del Pilar objected because to
him they already have the La Solidaridad
and the AHP to take care of the said
objectives. His argument lost was
overruled. A committee was formed to
draw the statutes.
Rizal and Del Pilar became the two
candidates. They both wanted to
withdraw. The rule of the election: the
winner must garner 2/3 majority vote.
1st Balloting- Rizal was ahead but not
enough. 2nd and 3rd Balloting gave the
same results. The meeting adjourned
The next day, del Pilar was absent. The
results didn’t change. Rizal grew
impatient. He announced his withdrawal
from the race. He bade farewell. But
Ponce quickly asked Lete, Sandiko, Luna
and others to shift their votes to Rizal.
Dominador Gomez spoke in behalf of the
Pilaristas saying they changed their votes
for the sake of unity. Thus, Rizal was
voted unanimously.
Rizal gave his admonitions to the group in
his acceptance speech. Rizal blamed
Eduardo de Lete for the election fiasco.
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 15
Expressed disappointment with del Pilar
He said it would have been a
disappointing news to the nationalist
movement in Manila to know that Rizal
was defeated because he was the
acknowledged leader back home.
A Biarritz Interlude
Rizal went to see Nelly in Biarritz. He
finally decided to marry Nelly Boustead.
Conditions made by Nelly’s father:
1. Abort all travels abroad and stay
with Nelly
2. Practice medicine and stay away
from politics
3. Become a Protestant before
marriage
Rizal, however, decided to back down
from his proposal thinking he wasn’t
ready yet to answer the given conditions
set by Nelly’s father.
Printing of the El Filibusterismo
In February 1891, Rizal went back to
Brussels to edit and revise the novel. By
end of May 1891, the novel was ready for
printing. He brought the novel to Ghent
because printing was cheaper there.
There was no financial aid sent by the
Centro de Propaganda. He had spent all
his money for the printing cost.
He only received P100 from his
countrymen as part of his allowance. He
was abandoned by the society after just a
month. He was consoled by the financial
help given by Valentin Ventura.

The novel was printed at F. Meyer van
Loo Press. Rizal gave the original
manuscripts to Ventura.
Rizal Resigns
Before leaving for Manila, He sent a letter
of resignation as a contributor of the La
Solidaridad. He also sent a message to
his compatriots his decision to give up his
political leadership and fight in his own.
This news saddened many Propaganda
members.
He quickly visited Nelly to bid goodbye.
He will go back to the Philippines to take
care of his family’s problems. He boarded
the SS Melbourne, a ship from Marseilles
bound to Hong Kong. He was with the
company of many friars including Fr.
Volunteri, less like Fr. Damaso.
B. DR. JOSE RIZAL MEDICAL
PRACTICE IN HONG KONG
Rizal and the German Ladies
Rizal was alone, having dinner; he
overheard the German ladies which were
gossiping loudly about him, being lonely.
The door in the dining room was blown
open when the steamer encountered a
heavy squall (a gust of wind). One of the
ladies said “if this man in front of us were
a gentleman, he would close the door”.
Rizal heard this, and, without saying a
word, closed the door. This incident made
the ladies embarrassed and treated Rizal
with respect and admiration.
Arrival in Hong Kong
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 16
On Nov. 20, 1891, Dr. Jose Rizal was
welcomed by old friends, especially Jose
Ma. Basa. He established his residence in
No.5 D’ Aguilar St., No.2 Rednaxela
Terrace where he also opened his
medical clinic.
On Dec. 1, 1891, Rizal wrote to his
parents to ask their permission for him to
come home.
His brother-in-law (Manuel T. Hidalgo)
wrote him a letter regarding: “deportation
of 25 persons from Calamba including his
father, Neneng, Sisa, Lucia, Paciano and
the rest of us.” He also stated in his letter
that he’s preparing a letter to the Queen
Regent of Spain explaining the Calamba
situation in order to secure justice. “If the
Queen will not listen, we will write to
Queen Victoria of England to appeal for
protection in the name of humanity.”
Family Reunion in Hong Kong
Before Christmas of 1891, Rizal’s
father, brother and Silvestre Ubaldo
(brother-in-law) arrived in Hong Kong. Not
long afterwards his mother (who was then
65 years old and almost blind) and
sisters, Lucia, Josefa and Trinidad
arrived. The Christmas of 1891 in Hong
Kong was one of the happiest Yuletide
celebrations in Rizal’s life. He even wrote
to Blumentritt on Jan. 31, 1892 about the
pleasant life they’re living in Hong Kong.
Ophthalmic Surgeon in Hong Kong

Rizal practiced medicine in order to earn
a living for his family. Dr. Lorenzo P.
Marques, his friend and admirer, turned
over to him many of his patients with eye
diseases; truly, he helped Rizal to build a
wide clientele (customers/clients).
Rizal successfully operated on his
mother’s left eye so that she was able to
read and write again. Some of his friends
gave him moral and substantial aid in his
medical practice, from Biarritz, Mr.
Boustead, Nellie’s father, wrote to him in
March 21, 1892, praising him for
practising his medical profession.
Dr. Ariston Baustista Lin, from Paris, sent
him a congratulatory letter and a book, on
Diagnostic Pathology by Dr. H. Virchow
and another book, Traite Diagnostique by
Mesnichock. Don Antonio Vergel de Dios,
also from Paris, offered his services for
the purchase of medical books and
instruments which he might need in his
profession.
C. BORNEO COLONIZATION
PROJECT
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.
He also planned to carve out of its virgin
wildness a “New Calamba”• March 7,
1892. He went to Sandakan on board the
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 17
ship Menon to negotiate with the British
authorities for the establishment of a
Filipino colony
On May 26, 1892, Lopez-Jaena wrote to
Rizal expressing his support and great
desire in the project along with their other
friends: Juan and Antonio Luna,
Blumentritt, Dr. Bautista Lin, etc.
Manuel Hidalgo, the brave Batangueño,
one of Rizal’s brothers-in-law, objected to
his project
Letter to Governor Eulogio Despujol
In hope of the Governor-General’s
sincerity in his promises of a better
government, Rizal wrote to him offering
him his cooperation. But the governor-
general did not acknowledge Rizal’s
letter, violating the simple rule of Spanish
courtesy.
On March 21, 1892, after waiting for 3
months for a reply to his first letter, Rizal
wrote another letter that asked for
permission for the landless Filipinos to
establish themselves in Borneo.
Borneo Colonization Project
Instead of performing the simple
“courtesy of a reply”, Despujol notified the
Spanish consul general in Hong Kong. He
did not approve the Filipino immigration to
Borneo, alleging that: “the Philippines
lacked laborers” and “it was not very
patriotic to go off and cultivate foreign
soil.”

Writings in Hong Kong
 Ang Mga Karapatan Nang Tao.
The translation of “The Rights of
Man” which was proclaimed in the
French Revolution 1789.
 A la Nacion Española (To the
Spanish Nation) An appeal to
Spain to right the wrongs done to
the Calamba tenants.
 Sa Mga Kababayan was written
on December 1891, explaining the
Calamba agrarian situation.
In The Hong Kong Telegraph Rizal
contributed articles to this British daily
newspaper. The editor was Mr. Frazier
Smith, who was his friend.
On March 2, 1892, Rizal wrote “Una
Visita a la Victoria Gaol” A Visit to Victoria
Gaol, an account of his visit to the
colonial prison of Hong Kong.
To elucidate his pet Borneo
colonization project he wrote:
 “Colonisation du British North
Borneo, par de Familles de Iles
Philippines”
 “Proyecto de Colonization del
Vritish North Borneo por los
Filipinos
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 18
 June 1892, He wrote “La Mano
Roja” (The Red Hand)
D. DECISION TO RETURN TO
MANILA
In May 1892, Rizal made up his mind to
return to Manila. This decision was
spurred by the following:
1. To confer with Governor Despujol
regarding his Borneo colonization
project
2. To establish the Liga Filipina in
Manila
3. To prove that Eduardo de Lete
was wrong in attacking him in
Madrid
Last Hong Kong Letters
Relatives and friends of Rizal opposed his
decision to return home because it was
like bearding the lions in their den.
On June 19, 1892, he spent his birthday
in Hong Kong. Evidently, he had a
premonition of his death, for the following
day, June 20, he wrote two letters which
he sealed, inscribed on each envelope “to
be opened after my death” and gave them
to his friend Dr. Marquez for safekeeping.
His first letter was addressed To My
Parents, Brethren, and Friends. The
second letter was addressed to The
Filipinos.
On June 21, 1892, Rizal penned another
letter in Hong Kong for General Despujol.
He informed the governor-general of his
coming to Manila and placed himself

under the protection of the Spanish
government.
On June 21, 1892, Rizal and his sister
Lucia, widow of Herbosa, left Hong Kong
for Manila. They carried a special
passport or “safe conduct” issued by the
Spanish consul-general in Hong Kong.
Rizal Fell into Spanish Trap
Immediately after Rizal’s departure from
Hong Kong: the Spanish consul-general,
who issued the government guarantee of
safety, 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”
Arrival in Manila with Sister
On June 26, 1892, Sunday at 12:00 noon,
Rizal and his widowed sister Lucia arrived
in Manila. At 4:00PM, he went to
Malacañang Palace to seek audience
with the Spanish governor-general. On
June 27, 1892, at 6:00pm, Rizal boarded
a train in Tutuban Station and visited his
friends in Malolos, San Fernando, Tarlac,
and Bacolor.
UNIT 9
FOUNDING OF THE LA LIGA FILIPINA
DAPITAN EXILE
A. FOUNDING OF THE LIGA
FILIPINA
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 19
On July 3, 1892, on the evening of
Sunday, following his morning interview
with Governor General Despujol, Rizal
attended a meeting with patriots at the
home of the Chinese-Filipino mestizo,
Doroteo Ongjunco, on Ylaya Street,
Tondo, Manila.
Rizal explained the objectives of the Liga
Filipina, a civic league of Filipinos, which
he desired to establish and its role in the
socio-economic life of the people.
The officers of the new league were
elected, as follows:
 Ambrosio Salvador (President)
 Deodato Arellano (Secretary)
 Bonifacio Arevalo (Treasurer)
 Agustin de la Rosa (Fiscal)
The motto of the Liga Filipina: Onus
Instar Omnium (One Like All)
The governing body of the league was the
Supreme Council which had jurisdiction
over the whole country. It was composed
of a president, a secretary, a treasurer,
and a fiscal. There was a Provincial
Council in every province and a Popular
Council in every town.
The duties of the Liga members are as
follows (1) obey the orders of the
Supreme Council (2) to help in recruiting
new members (3) to keep in the strictest
secrecy the decisions of the Liga
authorities (4) to have symbolic name

which he cannot change until he becomes
president of his council (5) to report to the
fiscal anything that he may hear which
affect the Liga (6) to behave well as befits
a good Filipino (7) to help fellow members
in all ways.
Rizal Arrested and Jailed in Fort
Santiago
On July 6, 1892, Wednesday, Rizal went
to Malacañang Palace to resume his
series of interviews with the governor-
general. He was asked about the Pobres
Frailes (Poor Friars) incriminatory leaflets
which were allegedly found in Lucia’s
pillowcases. it is under the authorship of
Fr. Jacinto and printed by the Imprenta de
los Amigos del Pais, Manila.
Rizal was placed under arrest and
escorted to Fort Santiago by Ramon
Despujol, nephew and aide of Governor
General Despujol
On July 7, 1892, the Gaceta de Manila
published the story of Rizal’s arrest which
produced indignant commotion among
the Filipino people, particularly the
members of the newly organized Liga
Filipina. The same issue of the Gaceta
(July 7, 1892) contained Governor
General Despujol’s decree deporting
Rizal to “one of the islands in the South.”
On July 14, 1892, shortly after midnight
(that is 12:30 AM of July 15, 1892), Rizal
was brought under heavy guard to the
steamer Cebu which was sailing for
Dapitan. This steamer under Captain
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 20
Delgras departed at 1:00 AM, July 15,
sailing south, passing Mindoro and Panay
and reaching Dapitan on Sunday, the
17th of July at 7:00 PM. Captain Delgras
handed Rizal to Captain Ricardo
Carnicero, Spanish commandant of
Dapitan. So, on July 17, 1892, Rizal
began his exile in lonely Dapitan, until
July 31, 2896, for a period of four years.
B. JOSE RIZAL’S PERSECUTION
AND EXILE IN DAPITAN
Jose Rizal's arrival in Manila on June 26,
1892 had become very sensational
among the Filipinos. His popularity feared
the Spaniards, and as such, paid careful
attention to his every move – all houses
where he had been searched and the
Filipinos seen in his company were
suspected. As he had planned, on July 3,
1892 he founded the La Liga Filipina in
the house of Doroteo Ongjunco in Tondo,
Manila.
Four days after the civic organization's
foundation, Jose Rizal was arrested by
the Spanish authorities on four grounds:
1. For publishing anti-Catholic and anti-
friar books and articles;
2. For having in possession a bundle of
handbills, the Pobres Frailes, in which
advocacies were in violation of the
Spanish orders;
3. For dedicating his novel, El
Filibusterismo to the three “traitors”
(Gomez, Burgos and Zamora) and for

emphasizing on the novel's title page
that “the only salvation for the
Philippines was separation from the
mother country (referring to Spain)”;
and
4. For simply criticizing the religion and
aiming for its exclusion from the
Filipino culture.
Aboard the steamer Cebu and under
heavy guard, Rizal left Manila, sailing to
Mindoro and Panay, until he reached
Dapitan at seven o'clock in the evening of
July 17.
From that day until July 31, 1896,
Dapitan became the bear witness to one
of the most fruitful periods in Rizal's life.
His stay in the province was more than
“he” living in exile – it was the period
when Rizal had been more focused on
serving the people and the society
through his civic works, medical practices,
land development and promotion of
education.
In Dapitan, Rizal had a scholarly debate
with Father Pablo Pastells regarding
religion. This exchange of heated
arguments revealed the anti-Christian
Rizal – his bitterness on the abuses
performed by friars, doing such under the
name of the sacred religion. Father
Pastells tried his best to win Rizal back to
the faith but fortunately or unfortunately,
in vain. These series of debate ended
inconclusively in which neither of them
convinced the other of his
judgments/arguments.
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 21
Rizal had maximized his stay in Dapitan
by devoting much of his time in improving
his artistic and literary skills; doing
agricultural and civic projects; engaging in
business activities, and writing letters to
his friends in Europe, particularly to
Ferdinand Blumentritt and Reinhold Rost.
His careers and achievements in different
fields were as follows:
As a Physician
Rizal provided free medicine to his
patients, most of them were
underprivileged. However, he also had
wealthy patients who paid him well
enough for his excellent surgical skill.
Among them were Don Ignacio Tumarong
who gave Rizal 3000 pesos for restoring
his sight, an Englishman who gave him
500 pesos, and Aklanon haciendero, Don
Francisco Azcarraga, who paid him a
cargo of sugar. His skill was put into test
in August 1893 when his mother, Doña
Teodora Alonzo, was placed under
ophthalmic surgery for the third time. The
operation was a success, however,
Alonzo, ignored her son's instructions and
removed the bandages in her eyes which
lead to irritation and infection.
As an Engineer
Rizal applied his knowledge through the
waterworks system he constructed in
Dapitan. Going back to his academic life,
Rizal obtained the title of expert surveyor
(perito agrimensor) from the Ateneo
Municipal. From his practical knowledge
as agrimensor, he widened his knowledge

by reading engineering-related books. As
a result, despite the inadequacy of tools
at hand, he successfully provided a good
water system in the province.
As an Educator
Rizal established a school in Dapitan
which was attended by 16 young boys
from prominent families. Instead of
charging them for the matriculation, he
made the students do community projects
for him like maintaining his garden and
field. He taught them reading, writing in
English and Spanish, geography, history,
mathematics, industrial work, nature
study, morals and gymnastics. He
encouraged his students to engage in
sports activities to strengthen their bodies
as well. There was no formal room, like
the typical classroom nowadays. Classes
were conducted from 2 pm to 4 p.m. with
the teacher sitting on a hammock while
the students sat on a long bamboo bench.
As an Agriculturist
Rizal devoted time in planting important
crops and fruit-bearing trees in his 16-
hectare land (later, reaching as large as
70 hectares). He planted cacao, coffee,
sugarcane, and coconuts, among many
others. He even invested part of his
earnings from being a medical practitioner
and his 6000-peso winnings from a lottery
on lands. From the United States, he
imported agricultural machinery and
introduced to the native farmers of
Dapitan the modern agricultural methods.
Rizal also visualized of having an
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 22
agricultural colony in Sitio Ponot, within
the Sindañgan Bay. He believed that the
area was suitable for cattle-raising and for
cash-crops as the area had abundant
water. Unfortunately, this plan did not
materialize.
As a Businessman
The adventurous Rizal, with his partner,
Ramon Carreon, tried his luck in the
fishing, hemp and copra industries. In a
letter to his brother-in-law, Manuel T.
Hidalgo, he pointed out the potential of
the fishing industry in the province (as the
area was abundant with fish and good
beach). He also requested that two good
Calamba fishermen be sent to Dapitan to
teach the fisher folks of the new fishing
methods, using a big net called pukutan.
But the industry in which Rizal became
more successful was in hemp, shipping
the said product to a foreign firm in
Manila.
As An Inventor
Little was known of Rizal as an inventor.
In 1887, during his medical practice in
Calamba, he invented a special type of
lighter called sulpukan which he sent to
Blumentritt as a gift. According to Rizal,
the wooden lighter's mechanism was
based on the principle of compressed air.
Another of his inventions was the wooden

brick-maker can manufacture about 6,000
bricks a day.
As An Artist
Rizal had contributed his talent in the
Sisters of Charity who were preparing for
the arrival of the image of the Holy Virgin.
Rizal was actually the person who
modeled the image's right foot and other
details. He also conceptualized its curtain,
which was oil-painted by a Sister under
his instruction. He also made sketches of
anything which attracted him in Dapitan.
Among his collections were the three rare
fauna species that he discovered
(dragon/lizard, frog and beetle) and the
fishes he caught. He also sculptured the
statuette called “The Mother's Revenge”
which represented his dog, Syria,
avenging her puppy to a crocodile which
killed it.
As A Linguist
Rizal was interested in the languages
used in Dapitan, thus, studied and made
comparisons of the Bisayan and Malayan
languages existing in the region. In fact,
Rizal had knowledge in 22 languages:
Tagalog, Ilocano, Bisayan, Subanun,
Spanish, Latin, Greek, English, French,
German, Arabic, Malayan, Hebrew,
Sanskrit, Dutch, Catalan, Italian, Chinese,
Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish and
Russian.
As A Scientist
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 23
Rizal shared his interest with nature to his
students. With his boys, they explored the
jungles and searched for specimens
which he sent to museums in Europe,
particularly in Dressed Museum. In return,
scientific books and surgical instruments
were delivered to him from the European
scientists. He also made a bulk of other
researches and studies in the fields of
ethnography, archaeology, geology,
anthropology and geography. However,
Rizal's most significant contribution in the
scientific world was his discovery of three
species:
1. Draco rizali – flying dragon
2. Apogonia rizali – small beetle
3. Rhacophorus rizali – rare frog
Rizal also partakes in civic works in
Dapitan. Upon arriving in the province, he
noticed its poor condition. He drained the
marshes of Dapitan to get rid of malaria-
carrying mosquitoes. He also provided
lighting system – coconut oil lamps
posted in dark streets – in the province
out of what he earned from being a
physician. He beautified Dapitan by
remodeling the town plaza, with the aid of
his Jesuit teacher, Fr. Francisco Sanchez,
and created a relief map of Mindanao
(footnote: using stones, soil and grass)
right in front the church.
Rizal had always been missing his family
and their happy moments together in
Calamba and his despair doubled upon
the announcement of Leonor Rivera's

death. Not soon, to his surprise, an Irish
girl enlightened his rather gloomy heart.
This girl was the 18-year-old Josephine
Bracken who, to Wenceslao Retaña’s
words, was “slender, a chestnut blond,
with blue eyes, dressed with elegant
simplicity, with an atmosphere of light
(gaiety).”
From Hong Kong, she arrived in Dapitan
in February, 1895 with his blind foster
father, George Taufer, and a Filipina
named Manuela Orlac. Rizal's fame as an
ophthalmic surgeon reached overseas,
and one of Rizal's friends, Julio Llorente
referred the group to Rizal. Rizal and
Bracken instantly fell in love with each
and in just one month, they agreed to
marry which appalled and disturbed
Taufer. However, the parish priest of
Dapitan, Father Pedro Obach, refused to
do so unless they be permitted by the
Bishop of Cebu.
On the other hand, Taufer returned to
Hong Kong uncured. Because no priest
was willing to marry the two, the couple
exchanged their vows before God in their
own way, which scandalized Fr. Obach.
In 1896, their love bears its fruit –
Josephine was pregnant. Unfortunately,
Bracken gave birth to a one-month
premature baby boy who lived only for
three hours. The child was buried in
Dapitan, bearing the name Francisco,
after Rizal's father.
Prior to the outbreak of the revolution, the
Katipunan leader, Andres Bonifacio, seek
R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 24
the advice of Jose Rizal. In a secret
meeting on May 2, 1896 at Bitukang
Manok near Pasig River, the group
agreed to send Dr. Pio Valenzuela as a
representative to Dapitan who will inform
Rizal of their plan to launch a revolution
against the Spaniards. On board the
steamer Venus, Valenzuala left Manila on
June 15, 1892 and in 6 days, arrived at
Dapitan with a blind companion,
Raymundo Mata. At night, Rizal and
Valenzuela had a talk in the former's
garden. There, Valenzuela told him of the
Katipunan's plan. Regarding this, Rizal
outspokenly objected Bonifacio's
“premature” idea for two reasons:
1. The Filipinos were still unready for
such bloody revolution; and
2. The Katipunan lacked machinery –
before plotting a revolution, there
must be sufficient arms and funds
collected.
Valenzuela also told Rizal of their plan to
rescue him in Dapitan. Again, the exiled
hero disagreed because he had no plan
of breaking his word of honor to the
Spanish authorities.
During the peak of the Cuban revolution,
Rizal offered his services as a military
doctor to compromise with the shortage of
physicians in the said country. It was his
friend Ferdinand Blumentritt who informed
him of the situation in Cuba and
suggested that he volunteer himself as
army doctor. On December 17, 1895,
Rizal sent a letter to Governor General
 R I Z A L - M I D T E R M R E V I E W E R | 25

Ramon Blanco rendering his service for

Cuba. But for months Rizal waited in vain
for the governor's reply, and loss hope
that his request will be granted. It was
only on July 30, 1896 when Rizal
received a letter from Governor Blanco,
dated July 2, 1896, accepting his offer.
The letter also stated that Rizal will be
given a pass so that he can go to Manila,
then to Spain where its Minister of War
will assign him to the Army of Operations
in Cuba.

At midnight of July 31, 1896, Jose Rizal

left Dapitan on board the steamer
España, together with Narcisa,
Josephine, Angelica (Narcisa's daughter),
three nephews and six of his students.
Many were saddened as the adopted son
of Dapitan left.

In Cebu, on their way to Manila, Rizal

successfully performed an ophthalmic
operation to a merchant who paid him fifty
silver pesos. After almost a week, on
August 6, 1896, España arrived in Manila.
Rizal was supposedly to board the Isla de
Luzon for Spain, but unfortunately, left
ahead of time. Instead, he was
transferred to the Spanish cruiser Castilla
to stay and wait for the next sail boat that
would sail for Spain next month. He was
prohibited from leaving the vicinity but
was allowed to accept visitors so long as
they were his immediate family. Of
course, all these delays were part of the
drama – Rizal has now fallen to the
critical/deadly Spanish trap.