RIZAL AS A PROFESSIONAL

CHAPTER VIII
Rizal’s Letter to Mariano
Ponce, London, October
12, 1888

I shall always be at
the service of my
country and what my
fellow countrymen
think I can do I shall
do.
A. REASON OF HIS ARREST

Rizal went home to the Philippines for the

second time on June 26, 1892. He immediately
went to Malacañang Palace to look for the
Governor-General to ask pardon for his family and
the possible agreement for the Borneo settlement.
 La Liga Filipina (The Philippine
League)

Unus Instrar Omnium (One Like

All)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 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.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
 When Rizal reached Dapitan, he
was handed down to Capitan
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:
1. To retract from his religion
2. To perform church rights
3. To be a man of religion
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
In his stay, he continuously practiced his profession and
found time to study Malayan language and several
Philippine dialects, continued with his artistic pursuits in
sculpture, painting, sketching, and writing poetry. He
won the respect and the admiration not only of the
townspeople but also of the military governor, who gave
him a free rein with his ingenuity to help improve the
community and allowed him all the liberties except
leaving the place.
 TRIVIA
Rizal won in a lottery with the winning number
9736 with the amount of P2,600.00. He sent some
to his parents and he used some in acquiring lands
in Talisay and cleared it to make it valuable through
the help of his students. More so, Joselito Dalman
Aseniero, one of his students, became the first
governor of the Province of the Zamboanga in
1925.
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.
 AS A MEDICAL
DOCTOR
He rendered free medical services and
provided his patients with medicine and
drugs.
His reputation as a medical doctor has
become widely 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.
 AS A FARMER/AGRICULTURIST

When Rizal won a lottery, he invested it in

purchasing agricultural lands. He bought an abandoned
farm in Talisay, a barrio near Dapitan with an area of 16
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 tress.
Later, he bought more lands until his total land
holdings reached 70 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 use of fertilizers, the rotation of crops, and the
use of farm machines.
 AS A LINGUIST

Rizal knew different languages:

Tagalog Hebrew

Ilokano Sanskrit
Catalan
Spanish
Dutch
Latin
Italian
Greek
Chinese
English
Japanese
French Portuguese
German Swedish
Arabic Russian
 AS AN
ENGINEER
He planned street layouts.
He provided the town with
water system.
He also provided the town
with lightning system.
 AS AN INVENTOR
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Wooden machine for making bricks

Hemp stripping machine
Net weaving

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 AS A BUSINESSMAN

Cooperative Association of Dapitan Farmers

-improve farm products
-obtain better outlet for them
-collect funds for their purchase
-help the producers and workers by establishing a store
He also partnered with Ramon Carreon, a Diptan merchant and they
ventured into the hemp and copra trade, lime industry, and fishing
business.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

 AS A TEACHER
He had 16 selected boys who lived in his
estate as internos (interns) and charged no
tuition fees.
He taught them academic and vocational
training to integrate their education toward
home and community development.
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
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
taught the boys to earn their living from their
labor and skill.
 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.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
 AS A SCIENTIST

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
conchology in the Philippines during the time.
There were rare specimens of animals which
earned him high praises from European scientists
who named them in his honor. They are the Draco
rizali, a small lizard popularly known as flying
dragon; Apogania rizali, rare kind of beetle;
Rhacophorous rizali, a peculiar frog species and
Sphatolmes rizali, a fungus beetle.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
AS AN ARTIST
He made sketches of persons and species of
animals collected; he help the Sisters of Charity
in painting and designing their chapel; and
molded busts of people and statues.
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 has a long debate through letter 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

July 31,1896- Rizal left Dapitan

September 2, 1892- the Katipunan
headed by Andres Bonifacio attacked San
Juan
October 3-6, 1896- he was shipped
backed to Manila boarded with the
warship full of soldiers and officers
November 3, 1896- arrived in Manila and
he was transferred to For Santiago
 1. He advised Pio Valenzuela how absurd the
movement (Katipunan) was and he had
always been opposed to rebellion.
2. He was offered help but he refused because if
he really did something against anybody or
WITH REGARD TO anything else, he had to prove his innocence.
REBELLION, HE HAD
THE FOLLOWING 3. He could not serve as a leader for he was not
consulted at all and if they made use of his
CLAIMS: name, it was used in order to do what they
please.
4. He had no correspondence with them
(Katipunan) and if so then the letter would fall
into the hands of the government.
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.

He clarified what he meant on the phrases to

have liberties (to be free) and to have WITH REGARDS TO THE
independence (to be separated). INSTITUTION OF LA LIGA,
HE DEFENDED THAT:
He did not revive or reorganized it and
whoever does he does not know who and what
changes they had made.

He did not convoke the members who met at

the house of Mr. Ongjungco.
 1. He did not introduce Masonry in the
Philippines.
2. He gave up writing and taking part of La
Solidaridad and Masonry.
WITH REGARDS 3. He founded associations in which its
TO MASONRY common objectives were to moralize the
HE HAD THE Filipinos and the political side was never
FOLLOWING under his direction.
CLAIMS:
4. He admitted that he wrote Himno a Talisay
(Hymn to Talisay) where in 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.
December 30,1896- Rizal will be
shot in the morning 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).
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
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.