Jose Rizal’s Exile in Dapitan

 Dr. Jose Rizal organized La Liga Filipina during his last homecoming to the Philippines
in 1892.
 La Liga Filipina aimed to address socio-economic issues and alleviate social ills during
Spanish colonial rule.
 Rizal's involvement in La Liga Filipina led to his arrest by the Spanish government on
July 6, 1892, just four days after its establishment.
 A bundle of leaflets titled "Pobres Frailes" (Poor Friars), satirizing Dominican friars for
their wealth despite vows of poverty, was found under Rizal's pen name, P. Jacinto,
leading to his arrest.
 Despite Rizal's denial of involvement in the leaflets, he was escorted to Fort Santiago.
 On July 7, 1892, Governor General Despujol issued a decree deporting Rizal to Dapitan,
citing reasons such as anti-Catholic sentiments, the satirical leaflets, Rizal's dedication of
El Filibusterismo to GOMBURZA, and the perceived aim of separating the Philippines
from Spain.
 Dr. Jose Rizal left Manila aboard the steamer Cebu on July 17, 1892, sailing through
Mindoro and Panay islands.
 He arrived in Dapitan, a remote town in Mindanao, which was under the missionary
jurisdiction of the Jesuits.
 Dapitan became the solitary witness of Rizal's life from July 31, 1896.
 Rizal's exile in Dapitan was marked by significant achievements in civic works, medical
practices, land development, and education.
 Initially, Rizal lived at the residence of Captain Carcinero, the politico-military governor
of the district, due to disagreements with Fr. Pablo Pastells, the superior of the Jesuit
parish priests.
 Conditions laid by Fr. Pablo Pastells for Rizal included retracting his errors concerning
religion, performing church rites, making a general confession of his past life, and
presenting himself as an exemplary Spanish subject and man of religion.
 Rizal and Captain Carcinero developed a friendship, with Carcinero believing in Rizal's
fine qualities and personality, granting him complete freedom to roam and reporting only
once a week.
 On September 21, 1892, news arrived in Butuan via mail boat regarding Rizal's lottery
win.
 Rizal, along with Carcinero and Francisco Equilor, jointly owned ticket no. 9736,
winning a prize of Php 20,000.
 Rizal's share of the prize amounted to Php 6,200, of which he gave Php 2,000 to his
father and Php 200 to Roman Basa in Hong Kong.
 The remainder of Rizal's winnings was invested in purchasing agricultural lands near
Dapitan, about a kilometer away in the coastal area of Talisay.
 In Dapitan, Rizal engaged in a scholarly debate with Father Pastells on religion, lasting
from September 1, 1892, to April 1893.
 The debate was initiated when Pastells sent Rizal a book by Sarda, advising him to desist
from viewing religion from the perspective of individual judgment and self-esteem.
 Rizal expressed his anti-Catholic sentiments in a letter to Fr. Pastells, attributing them to
the abuses committed by Spanish friars.
 Despite their differences, Rizal continued to be Catholic but did not subscribe to Pastells'
interpretation of church doctrines.
 Rizal attended masses, celebrated Christmas, and participated in other religious activities
in Dapitan.
 In reciprocation for the book, Rizal gave Fr. Pastells a bust of St. Paul that he made.
 During a debate with Father Pastells, Rizal became involved in a quarrel with Mr. Juan
Larder, a French businessman who purchased poor-quality logs from Rizal's land.
 Angered by a letter from Antonio Miranda expressing disgust over the business deal,
Rizal challenged Larder to a duel, which Larder avoided by apologizing.
 Father Pastells attempted to reconcile Rizal with the Church by sending Father Obach,
Father Jose Vilaclara, and Father Francisco Paula de Sanchez to Dapitan, but they failed
to convince Rizal to return to the Catholic faith.
 Rizal gifted a manuscript titled "Estudios sobre la lengua tagala" (Study of the Tagalog
language) to Father Sanchez on his birthday.
 Rizal built a house by the seashore of Talisay in Dapitan, surrounded by fruit trees, and
established a school for boys and a hospital for his patients.
 Rizal's mother and sister Maria visited him in August 1893, during which he operated on
his mother's eye.
 His sisters Trinidad, Maria, and Narcisa, along with nephews Teodosio, Estanislao,
Mauricio, and Prudencio, also became visitors to Rizal in Dapitan.
 In early November 1893, Rizal encountered a spy named Pablo Mercado, who pretended
to be a relative and offered to courier letters for patriots in Manila.
 Rizal became suspicious and reported Mercado to Captain Juan Sitges, leading to
Mercado's arrest and the discovery of his real identity as Florencio Namanan, hired by the
Recollect friars to spy on Rizal's activities.
Rizal’s Life and Works in Dapitan

 Physician:
 Operated on his mother's right eye, despite a post-operative wound infection.
 Treated patients such as Don Ignacio Tumarong and Don Florencio Azcarraga, who paid
him generously or gifted him in return.
 Prescribed medicinal plants to his poorer patients.
 Engineer:
 Constructed the Water System of Dapitan, praised for his engineering ingenuity by
American engineer Mr. H.F. Cameron.
 Drained marshes to eliminate malaria, equipped the town with coconut oil lamps for
lighting, and remodeled the town plaza.
 Created a relief map of Mindanao out of earth, stones, and grass.
 Educator:
 Established a school in Dapitan, initially with 3 pupils which grew to 21.
 Instituted a system where pupils worked in gardens and construction projects in lieu of
tuition.
 Provided holistic education including sports and practical skills.
 Agriculturist:
 Cultivated crops and fruit-bearing trees on his land, expanding from 16 to 70 hectares.
 Introduced modern machinery from the United States and attempted to promote cattle
raising.
 Businessman:
 Engaged in fishing, copra, and hemp industries with his partner Ramon Carreon.
 Inventor:
 Invented a special cigarette lighter based on compressed air principles.
 Designed a wooden brick-maker capable of producing 6,000 bricks per day.
 Artist:
 Contributed paintings to the Sisters of Charity.
 Created sketches, sculptures, and wood carvings depicting various subjects, including
incidents from Dapitan life and portraits of individuals.
 Linguist:
 Studied and compared Bisayan and Malayan languages.
 Proficient in 22 languages, including Tagalog, Spanish, English, French, German, and
others.
 Scientist:
 Sent specimens to European museums, receiving scientific books and surgical
instruments in return.
 Built a collection of shells and discovered rare specimens such as the Draco rizali (flying
dragon) and Apogonia rizali (beetle).
 Conducted various studies in anthropology, ethnography, archaeology, geology, and
geography.