Chapter 14 RIZAL

Chapter 14
THe Hong Kong

Sojourn 1891 -1892
Clifford Michael B. Manongsong
Rizal's desire to return to the Philippines was in his mind even as early
as when he was in London, because he believed that it is necessary to
preach an idea in a place where it ought to take place, not far from
it. In this regard, he was in opposition with his parents and relatives
because the situation in the Philippines did not guarantee his safety.
It would be like suicide for him to return to the islands. His family,
through Paciano, assured him that they would see him if he went in
Hong Kong. He honored the desire of his family, thus he sailed to
Hong Kong on board the steamer, Melbourne.
He lived in Hong Kong from November 1891 to June 1892.
He left Europe because he felt that life in Europe became
unbearable. He felt that the political differences with Del
Pilar and the other Filipinos can cause disunity, so he took
it upon himself to leave. Besides, Jose Rizal felt that the
propaganda movement in Europe was not going
anywhere. He wanted to lead the propaganda movement
and pursue the programs towards the realization for
changes in the Philippines in Hong Kong. Before leaving
for Hong Kong, Jose Rizal informed Marcelo H. del Pilar
that he could no longer write for La Solidaridad and that
he was retiring from the political arena.
He arrived in Hong Kong on November 20, 1891 and he
was welcomed by his friend, an avid supporter and fellow
propagandist, Jose Ma. Basa. Rizal established his
residences at No. 5 D' Aguilar Street and No. 2 Rednaxela
Terrace. He applied for a license and was granted the
right to practice his profession, so that he was able to
earn money and pay his debts. He also desired to support
his family. One by one, family members arrived, his father;
Silvestre Ubaldo, his brother-in-law; his mother; his sisters
Lucia, Josefa and Trinidad. His mother, though, in spite of
her old age, received very great indignities before she
joined her son in Hong Kong.
A civil guard caught his 74-year-old mother on the
charge that she used her name, Teodora Alonso
instead of Teodora Realonda de Rizal. The

punishment of this crime was for his mother to walk for

four days to Santa Cruz, the capital of Laguna. When
she reached the place, the governor of the province
absolved her of her crime and allowed her to go home.
She was able to join Jose in Hong Kong.
Once, Jose Rizal visited the British jail in order to have an
idea how their system worked. A Portuguese physician
Dr. Lorenzo P. Marquez, Director of Prisons of the
Colony, became his friend and Dr. Marquez helped him
start his practice in Hong Kong. He also successfully
operated on his mother's eyes the second time so that
she was able to read and write again.
On December 23, 1891, he wrote to the Philippine
Governor General Eulogio Despujol that he wanted to
return to the islands but this was totally ignored. The
governor general did not even bother to answer the
letter of Jose Rizal.
Borneo Project
To the severity of Governor General Wyler's administration, he
planned to move the displaced Calamba families and other farmers
of Batangas to Borneo.
This idea was formulated because he became friends with H. L
Dalrymple, a member of the Public Library Committee and the
Board of Medical Examiners who was a merchant and an agent of
the British North Borneo Company. A 100,000 acres of land was
offered to the Filipinos along the Bengkoka River in Maradu Bay for
999 years free of charges. In January 1892, he corresponded with Mr.
W. B. Pryor, manager of the North Borneo Development Company. He
sent an outline for the formation of a Filipino colony on the island. In
March 1892, he received an invitation from Mr. Pryor to visit
Sandakan, North Borneo. Rizal stayed in Sandakan until the last
week of April 1892 and saw many probabilities for the Filipinos
One ray of hope was the replacement of Governor General
Weyler by Governor General Eulogio Despujol. When Rizal
returned to Hong Kong, he received the news that Mr. Cook
refused to give 5,000 acres of land for free because the
payment was three pesos an acre. By this time there was
stili no response from Governor General Despujol but the
Spanish consul in Hong Kong verbally relayed to Rizal that
the Philppines needed laborers and that it was unpatriotic
for Filipinos to go to foreign lands and work when the
Philippines needed laborers.
In January 1892, in their conversations, Jose Ma. Basa
conceived the idea of an organized group of Filipinos that
would work towards the attainment of the liberty of the
people of the Philippines, but it was Jose Rizal who wrote
the constitution of this association, called the La Liga
Filipina.
Jose Rizal's Writings
He was never idle as he stayed in one place. Over and
above his lucrative practice, he still took time to write.
He tried to finish his third novel in Tagalog but gave it

up. Paciano starter translating the Noli to Tagalog.
He wrote Ang Mga Karapatan Ny Tao, translation of

"The Rights of Man" of the French Revolution.
He wrote A la Nacion Española (To the Spanish Nation),
an appeal to Spain to right the wrongs done to the
Calamba tenants.
Sa Mya Knbabayan (To My Countrymen), written in
December 1891, explaining the agrarian situation in
Calamba.
These works were contributed to the British paper, the Hong Kong
Telegraph. Mr. Frazier Smith was Rizal's friend. For publishing these
articles, this paper was later banned in the Philippines.
Una Visita a la Victoria Gaol (A Visit to Victoria Gaol),
an account of his visit to the Victoria colonial jail :vhich
had humane conditions as compared to the Spanish
prison system.
An article in French, Colonization du British Nor Borneo,
par des Familles de Iles Philippines (Colonization of
British North Borneo by Families from the Philippine
Islands). A Spanish version was also written, Proyecto de
Colonizacion del British North Borneo por Filipinos.
Return to Manila
The silence of the governor general made Jose Rizal
more determined to return to the Philippines because he
wanted to confer with Governor Despujol regarding his
Borneo project and to establish La Liga Filipina in the
Philippines.
Return to Manila
In spite of protests from his family and other
friends, Jose Rizal left for Manila. Before
embarking on the boat, he left two letters to
his Portuguese friend, dated june 20, 1892,
with instructions that these would be published
only after his death. One was addressed to his
family and the other was addressed to his
countrymen.
Return to Manila
On June 21, 1892, just two days after his
31st birthday, together with his sister,
Lucia, he boarded a ship to return to the
Philippines. The Spanish consul general
in Hong Kong gave them safe conduct
passes. On this same date, cases were
filed against Jose Rizal in Manila.
Thank You
for listening!

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Chapter 14

THe Hong Kong

punishment of this crime was for his mother to walk for

He tried to finish his third novel in Tagalog but gave it

He wrote Ang Mga Karapatan Ny Tao, translation of

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