Name: Kathleen Annee Villanueva Year & Section: MLS- 2F Date: Sept.

26, 2016
Summary of Rizals Life in Dapitan
Beginning of exile in Dapitan
There are four reasons according to Zaide why Rizal exiled in Dapitan. First, Rizal had published books and
articles abroad which showed disloyalty toSpain aand which were frankly anti-Catholic and imprudently anti-friar.
Second, a few hours after his arrival in manla there was found in one of the packages a bundle of handbill and
humble generosity of Filipino is satirized, and which accusation is published against the customs of religious
orders. Third, his novel El Filibsterismo was dedicated to the memory of three priest (Burgos, Gomez and
Zamora, and on the title page he wrote that in view of the vices and errors of the Spanish administration, the only
salvation for the Philippine was separation from the mother country. And fourth, the end he pursues in his efforts
and writing is to tear from the loyal Filipino breasts the treasure of our catholic Faith.
A steamer called Cebu carried Rizal to Dapitan and it also carried a letter from Father Pablo Pastells to
Father Antonio Obach. On the letter states that Rizal could live at parish convent on the following: First, that Rizal
publicity retracts his errors concerning religion, and makes statements that was clearly pro-Spanish and against
revolution. Second, that he performs the church rites and makes a general confession of his past life. Third, that
henceforth he conducts himself in an exemplary manner as a Spanish subject and a man of religion. Rizal did not
agree upon these conditions and rather choose to live in the house of Captain Carnicero wherein they have warm
and friendly relationships.
Wins in Manila Lottery
On September 2,1892, the sleepy town of Dapitanburst in hectic excitement. Captain Carnicero, Dr. Jose
Rizal and Francisco Equillior won in a lottery. Rizal then got his share of 6,200 and he gave 2000 pesos to his father
and 200 peso to his friend in Hong Kong. He invested the rest of the money in agriculture. This winning of Catholic
Rizal reveals that he has an addiction in playing lottery but never smokes nor drinks liquor.
Rizal- Pastells Debate on religion
He had a long and scholarly debate with Father Pastells on religion. It started when Father Pastells sent him
a book by Sarda, with advice that the latter (Rizal) should desist from his majadres (foolishness) in viewing religion
from the prism of individual judgement and self-esteem. This interesting religious debate may be read in his 4
letters. In all his letters to Father Pastells, Rizal revealed his anti-Catholic ideas which he had acquired in Europe and
embitterment at his persecution by the bad friars. It is understandable why he was bitter against the friars who
committed certain abuse under the cloak of religion. As he wrote to Blumentritt from Paris on January 20, 1890: I
want to hit the friars, but only friars who utilized religion not only as a shield, but also as a weapon, castle, fortress,
armor, etc.; I was forced to attack their false and superstitious religion in order to fight the enemy who hid himself
behind it.
Rizal Challenge a Frenchman a Duel.
While Rizal was still debating with father Pastells by means of exachange of ketters, he became involved in
a quarrel with a French acquaintance in Dapitan, Mr. juan Lardet, a business man. This man purchased many logs
from the lands of Rizal; it also happened that same of the logs were of poor quality.
Rizal and Father Sanchez
Father Pastells, aside from his personal efforts to persuade Rizal to discard his errors of Religion
instructed two Jesuits in Mindanao-Father Obach, cura of Dapitan, and Father Jose Vilaclara, cura of Dipolog- to try
their best to bring back Rizal within the Catholic fold. furthermore, he assignded father Francisco de Paula snchez,
Rizals favourite teacher at the Ateneo de Manila, to Dapitan.
Idyllic Life in Dapitan
In Dapitan, Rizal had an exemplary life, idyllic in serenity. Since August, 1893, members of his family took
turns in visiting him in order to assuage his loneliness in the isolated outpost of Spanish power in the Moroland.
Among them were his mother; sisters Trinidad, Mauricia, and Prudencio. He built his house by the seashore of
Talisay, surrounded by fruit trees. He had also another house for his school boys and a hospital for his patients.
Rizals Encounter with the Friars Spy
During the early days of November 1893 rizal was living peacefully and happily at his house in Talisay, a
kilometre away from Dapitan. his mother, sisters Narcisa and Trinidad, and some nephews were then living with
him. His blissful life was when suddenly jolted by a strange incident involving a spy of the friars. This spy with the
assumed name of Pablo Mercado and posing as a relative, secretly visited Rizal at his house on the night of
November 3, 1893. he introduced himself as a friend and relative, showing a photo of Rizal and a pair of buttons
with the initials P,M (Pablo Mercado) as evidence of his kinship with the Rizal family.
A Physician in Dapitan
Rizal practised medicine in Dapitan. He had many patients, but most of them were poor so he even gave
them free me medicine. To his friend in Hong Kong, Dr. Marquez, he wrote: Here the people are poor that I have
even to give medicine gratis. He had, however, some rich patients who paid him handsomely for his surgical skill.
Water System in Dapitan
Rizal held the title of expert surveyor (perito agrimensor, which he obtained from the Ateneo. He
supplemented his training as a surveyor by his reading of engineering books, so that he came to know about

engineering. In Dapitan, he applied his knowledge of engineering by constructing a system of waterworks in order
to furnish clean water system in Dapitan.
Community Projects for Dapitan
When Rizal arrived in Dapitan, he decide to improve it, to his best of his God-given talents, and to awaken
the civic consciousness of its people. He wrote to Fr. Pastells: I want to do all that I can for this town.
Rizal as Teacher
Since boyhood Rizal knew the value of good education. During his travels abroad he observed the
educational system of modern nations. He himself planned to established a modern college in Hong Kong for Filipino
boys so that he could train them in modern pedagogical concepts, which were then unknown in the Philippines.
Hymn to Talisay
Rizal conducted his school at his home in Talisay, near Dapitan, where he had his farm and hospital.His
favourite rendezvous with his boys was under a talisay tree, after which the place was named, In honor of Talisay,
he wrote a poem entitled Himmo A Talisay for his pupils to sing.
Contributions to Science
Rizal found Mindnoa a rich virgin field for collecting specimens. With his pupils, he explored the jungle sand
coasts, seeking specimens of insects, birds, snakes, lizards, frogs, shells, and plants. He sent these specimens to
the museum of Europe, especially the Dresden museum. In payment for these valuable specimens, the European
scientists sent him scientific books and surgical instruments.
Linguistic Studies
A born linguist, Rizal continued is studies of language. He wrote a Tagalog grammar, made a comparative
study of the Bisayan and Malayan languages, and studied the Bisayan (Cebuano)and Subanum languages.
Artistic Works in Dapitan
Rizal continued his artistic pursuits in Dapitan. He continued his paining skill to the Sisters of Charity who
were preparing the sanctuary of the Holy Virgin in their private chapel. For the sake of econoy, the head of the
image was procured from abroad. The vestments concealing all the rest of the figure except the feet, which
rested upon a globe encircled by a snake in whose mouth is an apple, were made by the sisters. Rizal modelled the
right foot of the image, the apple, and the serpentss head. he also designed the exquisite curtain, which wa
painted in oil by an artist Sister under his direction.
Rizal As a Farmer
In Dapitan Rizal devoted most of his time to agriculture. He bought 16 hectares of land in Talisay, where he
built his home, school, and hospital, and planted cacao, coffee, sugarcane, coconuts and fruit trees. My Land, he
wrote to his sister Trinidad, is half an hour from the sea. It is very poetic and very picturesque. If you and our
parents come I will build a big house we can all live in. Later, he acquired more ands until his total holding reached
70 hectares, containing 6,000 hemp plants, 1000 coconut trees, and numerous fruit trees, sugarcane, corn, coffee
and cacao.
Rizal as Businessman
Aside from farming, Rizal engaged in business. In partnership with Roman Carreon, a Dapitan merchant, he
made profitable business ventures in fishing, copra, and hemp industries. He invited his relatives, particularly
Saturnina and Hidalgo to come Mindanao, for there is vast and ample field for business in the island. He
particularly told Saturnina that in Dapitan she could profitably engage in the textile, jewelry, and hemp business.
Rizals Inventive Ability
One little-known fact about Rizal was that he was also an inventor. It should be remembered that in 1887,
while practising medicine in Calamba, he invented cigarette lighter which he sent as a gift to Blumentritt. he called
it sulpulon. This unique cigarette lighter was made of wood. Its mechanism, said Rizal , is based on the
principle of compressed air.
My Retreat
In February, 1895, Dona Teodora, with he eyesight fully restored, returned to Manila. During her long stay
in Dapitan, she saw how busy her talented son was regretted that he had rejected the Muses. She requested him to
write poetry again.
In response to her request, Rizal wrote a beautiful poem about his serene life as an exile in Dapitan and
sent it to her on October 22, 1895. This poem was Mi Retiro (My Retreat), which is acclaimed by literary critics a
one of the best ever penned, by Rizal.
Rizal and Josephine Bracken
In the silence hours of the night after the days hard work, Rizal was often sad. he missed his family and
relatives, his good friends in foreign lands, the exhilarating life in the cite f Europe, and is hapy days in Calamba.
The death of Leonor Rivera in August 28, 1893 left a poignant void in his heart. He needed somebody to cheer him
up in his lonely exile.
Rizal and the Katipunan
While Rizal was mourning the loss of his son, ominous clouds of revolution gradually darkened the
Philippines skies. Andres Bonifacio, the Great Plebian, was showing the seeds of an armed uprising. The secret
revolutionary society, called Katipunan, which he founded on July &, 1892, was gaining more and more adherents.

Volunteers as Military in Doctor in Cuba

Moths before the Katipunan contacted him, Rizal had offered his service as military Doctor in Cuba, which
was then in the throes of revolution and a raging yellow fever epidemic. There was a shortage physicians to
minister to the needs of the Spanish troops and the Cuban people,. It was Blumentritt who told him of the
deplorable health situation in war-ridden Cuba and advise d him to volunteer as army physician there.
The Song of the Traveler
Great was Rizals joy in receiving the gladsome news from Malacanang. At last, he was free once more!
once more, he was going to travel- to Europe and then to Cuba. It was a joyous thought of resuming his travels that
he wrote his heart warming poem El Canto del Viajero (The Song of the Traveler).
Adios Dapitan
On July 31, 1896, Rizals four-year exile in Dapitan came to an end. At midnight of that date, he embarked
on board the steamer Espana. He was accompanied by Josephine, Narcisa, Angelica (Narcisas daughter), his three
nephews and six pupils. Almost all Dapitan folks, young and old, were at the shore to bid him goodbye. Many wept
as the steamer sailed away-especially pupils who were too poor to accompany their beloved teacher to Manila. s
farewell music, the town brass band strangely played the dolorous Funeral March of Chopin. a sits melancholy
melody floated in the air, Rizal must have felt it deeply, for with this presentiment of death, it seemed an obsequy
or a requiem.