Chapter 8

RIZAL45
CHAPTER VIII: RIZAL AS A PROFESSIONAL
I shall always be at the service of my country and what my fellow countrymen think
I can do I shall do.
(Rizal’s letter to Mariano Ponce, London, October 12, 1888)
A. REASON OF HIS ARREST

Rizal went home to the Philippine for the second time on June 26,
1892. As a warrior ready for battle, he immediately went to Malacañan
Palace to look for the governor-general to ask pardon for his family and the
possible agreement for Borneo settlement. The former was granted but the
latter was greatly opposed.
He went on to visit his friends for possible support they could give from
the following reforms he aspired for his country. Hence, ten days after his
arrival, he convened them together with his friends’ recruits in the house of
Doroteo Ongjungco. He dispensed to them the objectives as well as the
constitution of his planned association for Filipinos, the La Liga Filipina (The
Philippine League). The Filipino patriots approved of its benefit to the country
and they were in unison of its foundation. Herewith, they elected their
officers and had to live its motto: Unus Instrar Omnium (One Like All).
After three days of its foundation, Rizal was accused of having brought
with him from Hong Kong leaflets entitled Pobres Frailes (Poor Friars), an
article written against the rich Dominican friars who had violated their vow of
poverty. Despite his ignorance, he was arrested and exiled in Fort Santiago
charging him of being an incommunicado (ex-communicated). On July 14,
1892, he was sailed to Dapitan for his deportation without due trial.
Three days after, Rizal reached Dapitan, he was handed down to
Captain Ricardo Carnicero, a military governor. There was an offer for him to
stay in the parish convent but first he had to abide with the following
conditions: (a) to retract from his religion, (b) to perform Church rites and (c)
to be a man of religion in which he totally disagreed. Hence, he chose to stay
in the house of the commandant.
In his stay, he continuously practiced DID YOU KNOW…that
his profession and found time to study Rizal won in a lottery with
Malayan language and several Philippine the winning number 9736
dialects, continued with his artistic pursuits with the amount of
in sculpture, painting, sketching, and P2,600.00. He sent some to
writing poetry. He won the respect and his parents and he used
admiration not only of the townspeople but some in acquiring lands in
also of the military governor, who gave him Talisay and cleared it to
a free rein with his ingenuity to help make it valuable through the
improve the community and allowed him all help of his students. More
liberties except leaving the place. He also so, Joselito Dalman
had an intimate affair with Josephine Aseniero, one of his
Bracken though it was not sanctified by students, became the first
marriage. He freely enjoyed his liberty governor of the Province of
Zamboanga in 1925.
This study source was downloaded by 100000882962349 from CourseHero.com on 03-24-2024 21:55:49 GMT -05:00
WFCabauatan
https://www.coursehero.com/file/94873464/chapter-8docx/
RIZAL46
despite his confinement thus; enabled him to demonstrate his professional

talents and skills to the community.
B. RIZAL AS A PROFESSIONAL
Rizal was gifted with many talents and skills which were polished by
time. His giftedness was experienced by the people of Dapitan during his
four years (1892 – 1896) confinement in this place.
a. As a Medical Doctor
When Rizal arrived in Dapitan, the community was haunted by malaria.
He helped the community in draining the marshes to prevent the spread of
the disease. As he practiced his medical profession, he rendered free medical
services to his poor patients. Due to the lack of drug stores too during that
time, he provided his patients with medicine and drugs which he himself
concocted from his knowledge of the curative value of local medicinal plants
(Ocampo, 2006).
When the government allowed members of his family to be with him in
Dapitan, he once again performed a medical operation to his mother’s eye.
Further, his reputation as a medical doctor was known to different places.
With this, he was visited by wealthy patients coming from other parts of the
Philippines and even from far away Hong Kong. To shelter his patients during
their treatment period, he constructed small houses called casitas de salud
to accommodate them.
b. As a Farmer/Agriculturist
In Rizal’s letter to his sister Lucia, he said, We cannot all be doctors; it
is necessary that there would be some to cultivate the soil. Here, Rizal
demonstrated the significance and the dignity of being a farmer.
When Rizal won a lottery while he was in Dapitan, he invested it in
purchasing agricultural lands. He bought an abandoned farm in Talisay, a
barrio near Dapitan with an area of sixteen hectares and was rather rocky.
With the help of his pupils and some laborers, they cleared it and planted
cacao, coffee, coconuts and other fruit bearing trees.
Later, he bought more lands which in due time, his total land holdings
reached seventy hectares which contained 6,000 abaca plants, 1,000
coconut palms and fruit bearing trees. He also introduced modern methods
of agriculture which he had observed during his travels such as the use of
fertilizers, the rotation of crops, and the use of farm machines.
c. As a Linguist
Before Rizal’s exile, he already knew different languages: Tagalog,
Ilokano, Spanish, Latin, Greek, English, French, German, Arabic, Hebrew,
Sanskrit, Catalan, Dutch, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish,
and Russian – nineteen in all. He had his own way of learning new language
through memorizing five root words every night before going to bed. At the
WFCabauatan
RIZAL47
end of the year, he could learn 1,825 new words in which he never forget
because of his retentive memory (Ocampo, 2006).
His knowledge of many languages became advantageous during his
travels in Europe, America and Asia, most especially in communicating with
foreign scholars and scientists, and even in his writings. Further, he even
acted as interpreter for his fellow travelers.
During his exile in Dapitan, he increased his knowledge of languages
through studying the Malay language and the lingua franca of the
community – Bisayan and Subanon. He had to learn the dialect to easily
communicate with the local folks and in doing business.
d. As an Engineer
Rizal was able to practice his vocational course, agrimensor y perito
tasador de tierras (land surveyor and assessor) when he planned new street
layouts and constructed them through the cooperative labor of the people.
More than this, he provided the town with a water system in which the
stream from the mountain heights several kilometers away supplied water.
The dam and aqueduct pipes and foundations were built out of discarded
roof tiles, bricks, gin bottles and stones and the mortar they used was made
of burned seashells and corals (Ocampo, 2006). H.F. Cameron, a
distinguished American engineer commented: When one considers that Dr.
Rizal had no dynamite with which to blast the hard rocks, and no resources
except his own ingenuity, one cannot help but render homage to a man who
under the adverse circumstances had the temerity and perseverance to
construct the system (Maguigad, 2004).
He likewise provided the town with a lightning system which consisted
of coconut oil lamps placed on dark streets and beautified the town plaza.
e. As an Inventor
Rizal’s travel from one place to another in Europe had come to its
fruition when he was able to witness the skills of the people. One of which
was the making of bricks in which he himself was motivated to invent a
wooden machine for making bricks. He also introduced the hemp stripping
machine to improve abaca industry so that there would be an increase of
production of the abaca planters.
Geographically, Dapitan was surrounded by seawater; hence, fishing is
a potential means to help uplift the life situation of the community. However,
the fishing folks did not have the right skill in fishing. Herewith, he asked the
government if they could send fishermen from Calamba to teach the
townspeople the skill of catching fish. Since, Rizal was a deportee; the
government did not heed his request. Having grown near Laguna Lake, he
himself introduced net weaving for the fishermen to catch fishes abundantly.
f. As a Businessman
WFCabauatan
RIZAL48
The Chinese merchants dominated the domestic trade in Dapitan. To

avoid the monopoly, he organized the Cooperative Association of Dapitan
Farmers. The purpose of which was to improve farm products, obtain better
outlet for them, collect funds for their purchase, and help the producers and
workers by establishing a store wherein they can buy prime commodities at
moderate prices (NHI, 2007).
He also partnered with Ramon Carreon, a Dapitan merchant and they

ventured into hemp and copra trade, lime industry and fishing business.
g. As a Teacher
Despite of Rizal’s unsuccessful plans of establishing a school in Hong
Kong and in Calamba, he finally had it in Dapitan. He had sixteen selected
boys who lived in his estate as internos (interns) and charged no tuition fees.
Instead, the boys helped him in his clinic and worked in his farm. He taught
them academic and vocational training to integrate their education toward
home and community development.
Academically, he taught the boys the basic rudiments: reading, writing
and arithmetic; languages (Spanish and English); geography and good
manners and right conduct. The lessons were supplemented through
fieldtrips in the mountains, caves, and seashores. To balance it, he also
taught them boxing, gymnastics, swimming, wrestling and arnis.
Practically, he made their learning functional through relating the boys’
activities to the actual situations in Dapitan. He made them construct a dam
serving as water depository during dry seasons. More so, he taught the boys
to earn their living from their labor and skill.
h. As a Geographer
When his former teacher, Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez visited the
place, they reconstructed the town plaza and made a big relief map of
Mindanao in front of the church. Rizal used it also as a motivating tool in the
teaching of geography to his pupils in which through its aid, he discussed
with the townspeople and visitors the position of Dapitan and its relation to
the rest of Mindanao.
i. As a Scientist
Through the help of Rizal’s pupils, he collected numerous species of
birds, insects, butterflies, shells, snakes and plants which he sent to the
Anthropological and Ethnographical Museum of Dresden for identification. He
had a collection of shells and was said to be the richest private collection of
conchology in the Philippines during that time. His collection composed of
two hundred and three species, of which five are land shells, thirteen are
from fresh or brackish water and the rest marine shells (NHI, 1992).
There were rare specimens of animals which earned him high praises
form European scientists who named them in his honor. They are the Draco
WFCabauatan
RIZAL49
rizali, a small lizard popularly known as flying dragon; Apogania rizali, a rare
kind of beetle; Rhacophorus rizali, a peculiar frog species and Sphatolmes
rizali, a fungus beetle.
j. As an Artist
Living a busy life in Dapitan, Rizal still managed to display his artistic
abilities. As a visual artist, he made sketches of persons and species of
animals collected; he helped the Sisters of Charity in painting and designing
their chapel; and molded busts of people and statues.
As a literary genius, he wrote poems about the ordinariness of life in
Dapitan, a love poem for Josephine and a manuscript entitled Estudios Sobre
la Lengua Tagala (Studies on the Tagalog Language). He also had a long
debate through letters with his mentor, Fr. Pablo Pastells about religious
views and opinions. More so, Dr. Pio Valenzuela went to visit him for
consultation regarding their planned revolt against the Spaniards.
C. RIZAL’S FINITUDENESS
Rizal’s stay in Dapitan ended when his request to serve Mother Spain
in Cuba as a volunteer doctor was granted. He left the place on July 31, 1896
but it took him a month before he travelled because he had to wait for
another mail ship going to Europe.
Unaware of the events, two days before he left the Philippines on
September 2, 1896, the Katipunan headed by Andres Bonifacio attacked San
Juan. As they sailed through Mediterranean seas, he heard the news that he
would be arrested because he was implicated by the said revolution. Hence,
he would be kept as a prisoner once they would arrive in Barcelona.
After three days in Barcelona (from October 3 – 6, 1896), he was
shipped backed to Manila boarded with a warship full of soldiers and officers.
The ship arrived in Manila on November 3, 1896 and Rizal was
transferred to Fort Santiago. Seventeen days after, the preliminary
investigation began and he was informed about his arraignment. After the
investigation they worked on corresponding actions to be conferred to him.
For Rizal’s voice to be heard from the trial, they allowed him to choose
his defense counsel. He chose the army officer, Don Luis Taviel de Andrade
as his defender. A day after Christmas, he was put into court-martial and the
trial began. After presenting the charges and the verdict, his defense counsel
took over. When his defense was read, Taviel de Andrade gave him the floor
to supplement his defense.
In his Datos Para Mi Defensa (Data for my Defense) he responded to
the following charges: rebellion, institution of La Liga and masonry.
With regard to rebellion, he had the following claims:
a. He advised Pio Valenzuela how absurd the movement (Katipunan)
was and he had always been opposed to rebellion.
b. He was offered help but he refused because if he really did
something against anybody or anything else, he had to prove his
innocence.
WFCabauatan
RIZAL50
c. He could not serve as a leader for he was not consulted at all and if
they made use of his name, it was used in order to do what they
please.
d. He had no correspondence with them (Katipunan) and if so then the
letter would fall into the hands of the government.
With regard to the institution of La Liga, he defended that:
a. He wrote the statutes of the organization for unity, mutual
protection, development of education, defense against violence and
injustices, agriculture and commerce and implementation of
reforms.
b. He clarified what he meant on the phrase to have liberties (to be
free) and to have independence(to be separated).
c. He did not revive or reorganized it and whoever does he does not
know who and what changes they had made.
d. He did not convoke the members who met at the house of Mr.
Ongjungco.
With regard to Masonry he had the following claims:
a. He did not introduce Masonry in the Philippines.
b. He gave up writing and taking part of La Solidaridad and Masonry.
c. He founded associations in which its common objectives were to
moralize the Filipinos and the political side was never under his
direction.
d. He admitted that he wrote Himno a Talisay (Hymn to Talisay)
wherein the verse that they will know how to protect their families
but he referred it to the numerous incursions of the Moros who went
to Dapitan.
Since his case was prejudged, the presiding officer considered the trial
over and after short deliberation of his case, the military court gave him the
verdict – death. Governor General Camilo G. de Polavieja approved the
court’s decision hence, Rizal was ordered to be shot in the morning of
December 30, 1896 at Bagumbayan (now Luneta).
His last days were spent with his family and friends. He wrote letters as
well as his last poem (originally untitled), Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell)
hidden in a lamparilla (lamp or others contest, an alcohol cooking stove).
As he marched going to his death place, he described how beautiful
the day was and made some reminiscence of his school. When they reach
Bagumbayan, he made his last request, that is, to be shot facing the firing
squad but was denied. As the captain prepare his men to fire, he shouted his
last words, consummatum est (it is finished) and tried to maneuver right as
bullets penetrated his body portraying that he was never been a traitor to
Mother Spain and to its colony, the Philippines.
WFCabauatan
RIZAL51
ACTIVITY
I. Multiple Choice. Choose the correct answer among the options. Write
your answer on the space provided.
___ 1.Showing the position of Dapitan and its relation to the rest of Mindanao
highlights the profession of Rizal as a/an
A. teacher C. inventor
B. engineer D. geographer
___ 2.The following are the reasons why Rizal studied three more languages
in Dapitan EXCEPT
A. to understand the townspeople C. to use it for trade and commerce
B. to use it for business purposes D. to be aninterpreter for the
people
___ 3. As a teacher, Rizal taught his pupils on how
A. to integrate their education in national development
B. to earn their living from their labor and skill
C. to make their learning functional in the international market
D. to become independent from their parents
___ 4. As a scientist, Rizal earned high praises from European scientists
because
A. he has the richest private collection of conchology in the Philippines
B. he sent numerous species in Dresden Museum
C. he became a member of different associations in Berlin
D. he discovered rare specimens of animals which were named after
him
___ 5.As a businessman, Rizal taught the people of Dapitan on how to
A. use fertilizers for their crops C. rotate crops from wet to dry
season
WFCabauatan
RIZAL52
B. improve their farm produce D. curb the Chinese merchants
II.Describe how productive the life of Rizal in Dapitan through the following
professions he demonstrated to the people and how important are they in
our country at present.
Professions Practice Implication to the

Present Condition
Medical Doctor
Farmer/Agriculturist
Linguist
Engineer
Inventor
Businessman
Teacher
Geographer
Scientist
Artist
III. Among the many talents/skills of Rizal what would you think is the most
needed in our present day situation?
WFCabauatan
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Chapter 8

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 8

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

RIZAL45

CHAPTER VIII: RIZAL AS A PROFESSIONAL

A. REASON OF HIS ARREST

despite his confinement thus; enabled him to demonstrate his professional

The Chinese merchants dominated the domestic trade in Dapitan. To

He also partnered with Ramon Carreon, a Dapitan merchant and they

B. improve their farm produce D. curb the Chinese merchants

Professions Practice Implication to the

You might also like