CHAPTER 9: THE ENTRAPMENT AND HIS EXILE TO Rizal’s winning in the Manila Lottery reveals and
DAPITAN aspect of his lighter side. He never drank hard
liquor and never smoked but he was a lottery addict
—this was his only vice.
RIZAL ARRESTED AND JAILED IN FORT SANTIAGO
RIZAL IN DAPITAN
Rizal was placed under arrest and escorted to Fort
During his exile in Dapitan, Rizal had a long and
Santiago by Ramon Despujol, nephew and aide of
scholarly debate with Father Pablo Pastells on
Governor General Despujol.
religion.
July 14, 1892, shortly after midnight (that is 12:30
In all his letters to Father Pastells, Rizal revealed
am of July 15,1892) – Rizal was brought under
his anti-Catholic ideas which he had acquired in
heavy guard to the steamer Cebu which was sailing
Europe and embitterment at his persecution by the
for Dapitan.
bad friars.
Captain Ricardo Carnicero – Spanish commandant
Imitacion de Cristo (Imitation of Christ) – a famous
of Dapitan whom Captain Delgras handed Rizal.
Catholic book by Father Thomas A Kempis which
July 17, 1892 - July 31, 1896 – Rizal began his
Father Pastells gave to Rizal.
exile in lonely Dapitan, a period of four years.
As physician in Dapitan – Rizal practiced Medicine
RIZAL’S EXILE IN DAPITAN (1892-1896) in Dapitan. He had many patients, but most of them
were poor so that he even gave them free
Rizal lived in exile far-away Dapitan, a remote town medicine.
in Mindanao which was under the missionary Don Ignacio Tumarong – Rizal’s patient who was
jurisdiction of the Jesuits, from 1892 to 1896. able to see again after his operation. He paid Rizal
Rizal practiced medicine, pursued scientific studies, P3,000.
continued his artistic and literary works, widened his Don Florencio Azcarraga – rich hacendero of Aklan
knowledge of languages, established a school for who was cured of eye ailment, in turn he gave Rizal
boys, promoted developments projects, invented a a cargo of sugar.
wooden machine for making bricks, and engaged in As a physician, Rizal became interested in local
farming and commerce. medicine and in the use of medicinal plants. He
BEGINNING OF EXILE IN DAPITAN studied the medicinal plants of the Philippines and
their curative values.
The steamer Cebu which brought Rizal to Dapitan August 1893 – Rizal’s mother and sister, Maria,
carried a letter from Father Pablo Pastells, Superior arrived in Dapitan and lived with him for one year
of the Jesuit Society in the Philippines, to Father and a half. Rizal operated on his mother’s right eye.
Antonio Obach, Jesuit parish priest of Dapitan. In Dapitan, Rizal applied his knowledge of
Rizal lived in the house of the commandant, engineering by constructing a system of waterworks
Captain Carnicero. in order to furnish clean water to the townspeople.
A Don Ricardo Carnicero – Rizal wrote a poem on
August 26,1892, on the occasion of the captain’s COMMUNITY PROJECTS FOR DAPITAN
birthday. When Rizal arrived in Dapitan, he decided to
Butuan – the mail boat, brought the happy tidings improve it, to the best of his God-given talents and
that the Lottery Ticket no. 9736 jointly owned by to awaken the civic consciousness of its people:
Captain Carcinero, Dr. Jose Rizal, and Francisco 1. Constructing the town’s first water
Equilior (Spanish resident of Dipolog, a neighboring system.
town of Dapitan) won the second prize of P20,000 2. Draining the marshes in order to get
in the government-owned Manila Lottery. rid of malaria that infested Dapitan.
Breakdown of the lottery prize:
P20,000 – lottery prize
3. Equip the town with its lighting system
P6,200 – given to Rizal this lighting system consisted of
P2,000 – he gave to his father coconut oil lamps placed in the dark
P200 – he gave to Basa in Hong Kong streets of Dapitan
The rest was invested thru purchasing agricultural 4. Beautification of Dapitan – remodeled
lands from the coast of Talisay about kilometer the town plaza in order to enhance its
away from Dapitan. beauty.
CHAPTER 9: THE ENTRAPMENT AND HIS EXILE TO DAPITAN
1
Rizal as a Teacher – Rizal’s exile to Dapitan gives merchant, he made profitable business ventures in
him the opportunity to put into practice his fishing, copra, and hemp industries.
educational ideas. In 1893 he established a school Rizal’s Inventive Ability – Rizal invented a cigarette
which existed until the end of his exile in July, 1896. lighter which he sent as a gift to Blumentritt. He
Rizal taught his boys reading, writing, languages called it “sulpukan”. This unique cigarette lighter
(Spanish and English), geography, history, was made of wood. “Its mechanism”, said Rizal “is
mathematics (arithmetic and geometry), industrial based on the principle of compressed air.”
work, nature study, morals and gymnastics. He During his exile in Dapitan, he invented a wooden
trained them how to collect specimens of plants and machine for making bricks.
animals, to love work and to “behave like men”. My Retreat (Mi Retiro) – Rizal wrote this beautiful
Hymn to Talisay (Himno A Talisay) – Rizal wrote poem about his serene life as an exile in Dapitan
this poem in honor of Talisay for his pupils to sing. and sent it to her mother on October 22,1895,
Contributions to Science – during his four-year exile which acclaimed by literary critics as one of the best
in Dapitan, Rizal built up a rich collection of ever penned by Rizal.
concology which consisted of 346 shells
RIZAL AND JOSEPHINE BRACKEN
representing 203 species.
Rizal also conducted anthropological, Josephine Bracken – Irish girl of sweet eighteen
ethnographical, archaeological, geological, and who was born on Hong Kong.
geographical studies, as revealed by his James Bracken and Elizabeth Jane MacBride –
voluminous correspondence with his scientists Josephine’s parents who are both Irish in
friends in Europe. citizenship.
Linguistic Studies – In Dapitan, he learned the Mr. George Taufer – man who adopted Josephine
Bisayan, Subanum, and Malay languages. He wrote after her mother died of childbirth.
Tagalog grammar, made a comparative study of the Mr. Taufer became blind so he sought for an
Bisayan and Malayan languages and studied ophthalmic specialist. This is how Josephine and
Bisayan (Cebuano), and Subanum languages. Rizal met.
By this time, Rizal could rank with the world’s great Rizal and Josephine Bracken decided to get
linguists. He knew 22 languages—Tagalog, Ilokano, married but Father Obach refused to marry them
Bisayan, Subanun, Spanish, Latin, Greek, English, without the permission of Bishop of Cebu.
French, German, Arabic, Malay, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Hearing of the planned marriage and unable to
Dutch, Catalan, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, endure the thought of losing Josephine, Mr. Taufer
Portuguese, Swedish, and Russian. tried to commit suicide by cutting off his throat with
Artistic works in Dapitan – Rizal continued his a razor but Rizal was able to prevent this.
artistic pursuits in Dapitan. Rizal made sketches of To avoid a tragedy, Josephine accompanied Mr.
persons and things that attracted him in Dapitan. Taufer back to Manila. Mr. Taufer returned to Hong
The Mother’s Revenge – a statuette made by Rizal Kong alone while Josephine stayed with the Rizals
representing the mother-dog killing the crocodile, by in Manila.
way of avenging her lost puppy. Other sculptural Having no priests to marry them, Rizal and
works of Rizal in Dapitan were: Josephine married themselves before the eyes of
1. A Bust of Father Guerrico – one of his Ateneo God.
professors The two were happy for they were expecting for a
2. The Dapitan Girl – a statue of a girl,a baby. However, Rizal played a prank on Josephine
woodcarving of Josephine Bracken (his wife) making her give birth to an eight-month baby boy.
3. A Bust of St. Paul – which he gave to Father
The baby lived for only three hours. He was named
Pastells.
“Francisco” in honor of Rizal’s father.
Rizal as Farmer – In Dapitan, Rizal devoted much
of his time to agriculture. Rizal introduced modern RIZAL AND THE KATIPUNAN
methods of agriculture which he had observed in
Andres Bonifacio – the “Great Plebeian”, sowing the
Europe and America. He encouraged the Dapitan
seeds of an armed uprising – the secret
farmers to discard their primitive system of tillage
revolutionary society, called Katipunan, which he
and adopt the modern agricultural methods.
founded on.
Rizal as Businessman – Rizal engaged in business
in partnership with Ramon Carreon, a Dapitan
CHAPTER 9: THE ENTRAPMENT AND HIS EXILE TO DAPITAN
2
Dr. Pio Valenzuela was named emissary to Dapitan
in order to inform Rizal of the plan of the Katipunan
to launch a revolution for freedom’s sake.
To camouflage Valenzuela’s real mission, he
brought with him a blind man Raymundo Mata and
a guide, ostensibly going to Dapitan to solicit Rizal’s
expert medical advice.
Rizal objected to Bonifacio’s audacious project to
plunge the country in bloody revolution because he
was of sincere belief that it was premature, for two
reasons:
1. The people are not ready for a
revolution.
2. Arms and funds must first be collected
before raising the cry of revolution.
Rizal had offered his services as military doctor in
Cuba, which was then in the throes of a revolution
and a raging yellow fever epidemic.
December 17, 1895 – Rizal wrote to Governor
General Ramon Blanco, Despujol’s successor,
offering his services as military doctor in Cuba.
July 30, 1896 – Rizal received the letter from
Governor General Blanco dated July 1, 1896
notifying him of acceptance of his offer.
“The Song of the Traveler” (El Canto del Viajero) –
Rizal wrote this heart-warming poem because of his
joy in receiving the gladsome news from
Malacanang.
July 31, 1896 – Rizal’s four-year exile in Dapitan
came to an end. Midnight of that date, Rizal
embarked on board the steamer España.
As farewell music, the town brass band strangely
played the dolorous Funeral March of Chopin. Rizal
must have felt it deeply, for with his presentment of
death, it seemed an obsequy or a regimen.
Rizal wrote in his diary, “I have been in that district
four years, thirteen days and a few hours”
CHAPTER 9: THE ENTRAPMENT AND HIS EXILE TO DAPITAN
