Rizal Law: Rep Act.

1425, AN ACT TO INCLUDE IN THE CURRICULA OF ALL

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES COURSES ON
THE LIFE, WORKS AND WRITINGS OF JOSE RIZAL, PARTICULARLY HIS NOVELS
NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO, AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND
DISTRIBUTION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
 Goal of the law; to rekindle patriotism (mapanatiling buhay sa bawat Pilipino
ang damdaming makabayan)
 authored by Claro M. Recto And sponsored the bill in the senate by Jose P.
Laurel.
 The law took effect/approved on June 12, 1956 by the signature of former Pres.
Ramon Magsaysay.
The 3 Important Provisions:
 All school public and private are mandatorily including to its curricula the
teaching of life and works of lose Rizal, based on the unexpurgated (complete
or original) version of Noll and El Fill
 Libraries are obliging to maintain an adequate or enough number of copies of
Noll and El Fill.
 directs the Board of National Education to take charge of the translation,
reproduction and distribution of printed copies of Rizal's novels to interested
parties through purok organizations and barangay councils, free of charge

Life of Jose Rizal:

Early
 Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso was the parents of Jose Rizal. They're
leaseholders of a hacienda and rice farm by Dominicans
 Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna Philippines and died Dec
30, 1896
 Jose Rizal has 9 sisters and 1 brother. They're are: Saturina, Paciano, Narcisa,
Olympia, Lucia, Maria, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad.
 Rizal learned to read letters at the age of 3, he also tries to spell some words
from his sister's story book
 Rizal was a Chinese ancestry
 Rizal's family belongs to a principalia, a rich family. Rizal's family was rich and
were amongst the first people who built a house of stone and hardwood in
Calamba. The house is located along Mercado Street and Rizal Street in
Calamba's Poblacion 5.
 At the age of 5, Rizal revealed his talents in sketching and sculpturing
 At the age of 5, he wrote a poem "Sa aking mga kabata"
Education
1872, Dr. Jose Rizal enrolled at Ateneo Municipal de Manila by his father. Although at
first, the registrar refused to accept his enrollment, Manuel Xerez Burgos help him be
admitted. As a transferee that time, Jose Rizal experienced discrimination and has
been put among the lower class. However, Jose proves himself and has been
repeatedly promoted which makes him to the rank of Emperor, the best student within
a one month. Later on, of continuous study in Ateneo, He obtained excellent grades
and medal during his 2nd year. At his 3rd year, he attains gold medal in Latin. And
4th year, he received 5 medals. At last year, he was the top and highest grades in all
subject which makes him graduate with highest honor. During his study in Ateneo,
Rizal has joined to multiple activities regarding literature and sculpting. 1877, As he
planned to enroll in UST, her mother tries to opposed his decision because her mother
thought that if Jose became more well-read, the Spaniards might want to kill him.
However, Jose pursued with the aim to study philosophy in UST but on 1878, Jose
Shifted to medical course after knowing that her mother would possibly be blind in the
near future. Jose study at UST from 1879 to 1882. During that long time span, Jose
Rizal has been a leader in activism of his fellow student against the Racial animosity of
Spaniard and UST, unfair criteria for academic because UST humiliate brown skinned
colored as they're Indio. With regards to that unfair treatment, Jose Rizal has been
unsatisfied and not able to complete the course as he became politically isolated
believing that he assimilates to the system of UST. To complete his medical course,
1882, Jose Rizal decided to study in Madrid in a hiding without the consent of his
parents. In Universidad Central de Madrid, Jose Rizal obtained his licensed
philosophy. 1884, he conferred the degree of licentiate in medicine and passed all his
subjects. However, he was not awarded with doctor's diploma since he failed to comply
some important requirements. So, he went to Paris in order to complete the
specialization in ophthalmology to cure his mother's eyes. During his stay in Madrid,
Rizal wrote 50% of his novel "Noli me tangere". In Spain, He was a leader of reform
movement of Filipino students, wherefore he wrote essays to La Solidaridad about the
ideal of making the country a province of Spain or assimilation so that the Filipino will
have the same rights as the Spaniards and Filipino priest instead of Spanish friars.

Return in the Philippines: (1892-1896)

 1892, Rizal returned to manila and formed a civic movement called La Liga
Filipina
 When he returned, He was considered as Enemy by the Spanish colony
because of his writings Noli that's why he has been exiled to Dapitan, Mindanao
 During his stay in Dapitan:
- July of 1892, Rizal has been exiled in Dapitan as a prisoner from 1892 to 1896,
because Spaniards found his written works containing the abusive treatment of
Spaniards in the country. During his 4 years stay in Dapitan, He established a
school that doesn't require student to pay tuition. Jose Rizal teaching includes
arithmetic, geometry, Spanish, English, French, and other languages as well as
wrestling and boxing Jose Rizal also established a clinic providing herbal
medicines for the poor patients, since they could not afford imported medicines.
During his stay in Dapitan, his mother Teodora, visited Jose to get the final
treatment to recover her eyesight. Rizal also meet a blind American engineer
named Taufer in Dapitan on 1895 that has an adopted daughter named
Josephine Leopoldine Bracken who later on became his wife. Furthermore,
during his stay, Rizal also gathered specimens of animal where he also
discovered 2 species that later on named next to him. He imports those animal
 specimens to other country in exchange of books. While he was staying in
Dapitan, Rizal was advised to go in Cuba to serve medicine. At first, he did not
want to, but later on He wrote a letter asking for permission to go Cuba and has
been accepted. Aside from that, during his stay in Dapitan, a member of
Katipunan lead by Andres, visited Rizal and tell him about the planned armed
revolution. However, Rizal disagree and says it is immature.

Arrest:
 Rizal had earlier volunteered his services as a doctor in Cuba and was given
leave by Governor- General Ramon Blanco to serve in Cuba to minister to
victims of yellow fever. Rizal and Josephine left Dapitan on August 1, 1896,
with letter of recommendation from Blanco. Rizal was arrested on route to Cuba
via Spain and was imprisoned in Barcelona on October 6, 1896. He was sent
back the same day to Manila to stand trial as he was implicated in the
revolution through his association with members of the Katipunan. During the
entire passage, he was unchained, no Spaniard laid a hand on him, and had
many opportunities to escape but refused to do so.

Execution:
 Moments before his execution on December 30, 1896. 7:00 AM, Eight native
soldiers composed the firing squad. Behind them were eight Spanish soldiers
with Mauser rifles, ready to shoot the native soldiers if they refused to shoot
Rizal.
 December 30, 1896-Rizal was dressed in black and his arms were loosely
bound, elbow to elbow flanked by Luis Taviel de Andrade, Fr. Villaclara, Fr.
Estanilao Marc
 Rizal requested two things facing the firing squad (it was not granted) and
sparing his head from the bullets
 After the signal of the captain, 3 bullets simultaneously pierced his body. At
exactly 7:03 a.m. he died.
 In the background could be heard the shouts "Viva Espana" means "Death to
traitor"
 After the death of Jose Rizal, the Katipunan lead by Andres Bonifacio,
accompanied by his brother Paciano Mercado, intensified the Philippine
Revolution against the Spanish Colony. Although the revolution does not
completely vanish the Spanish, they're able to establish their own
association and boldly protect it.
REPUBLIC ACT:
 Rep Act no. 137: on June 11, 1901, the province of Rizal was officially and
legally created by virtue of an Act no. 137 by the first Philippine Commission
which during the time was acting as the unicameral legislative body in the
island of Luzon.
 Act no. 243: United States Philippine Commission Act No. 243, dated
September 28, 1901. It was approved by no less than United States
President Theodore Roosevelt. The act granted the allocation of land in
Luneta to erect a monument commemorating the memory of Jose Rizal
 near the where he was executed by the Spaniards.
 Rep Act no. 229: on June 9 1948, President Elpidio Quirino signed the law.
To ensure the solemnity of Rizal Day, prohibiting cockfighting, horse racing,
and jai-alal every December 30,
Notes:

 His books were thought to contribute to the Philippine Revolution of 1896,

but other forces had also been building for it.
 As leader of the reform movement of Filipino students in Spain, Rizal
contributed essays, allegories, poems, and editorials to the Spanish
newspaper La Solidaridad in Barcelona (in this case Rizal used pen names,
"Dimasalang", "Laong Laan" and "May Pagasa").
 The content of Rizal's writings changed considerably in his two most famous
novels, Noli Me Tangere, published in Berlin in 1887, and El Filibusterismo,
published in Ghent in 1891.
Rizal Opposition on Revolution:

- According in the manifesto of December 15, 1896, Rizal stated that from
the very beginning when he first learned about the revolution that was
being planned, he opposed it pertaining to its absolute impossibility.
Moreover, he said that he is most willing to offer anything that could
suppress it. Another proof of Rizal's contradiction is when Dr. Pio
Valenzuela, on Bonifacio's order, visited Rizal during his exile in Dapitan
on June 21, 1896. Dr. Pio informed him of the plan of the Katipunan to
launch a revolution. Rizal stated that this was a suicidal plan.
- Jose Rizal Believes that Education is the way to right revolution. Because
the true sense of fighting or vanishing the Spaniards was not just about
vanishing their population in the country. But vanishing as well their
impact and influence to us, Filipino which we believe to be negative. This
includes: gambling, cock fighting, drunkenness. In other words, if we
fight physically with heavy weapons, we only vanished their population
not their impact. Because if we did not vanish their impact, their
presence must not be here, but their control to our Nationalism was still
in control, but this time, it is "within us, inside us". In other words, we
still live in their influence
- Rizal Believes that the real antidote to win against the Spaniards is what
Jesus called "truth" or what Rizal called "education".
Rizal's Birth date:

 Teodora Alonso Mercado (1827-1911)

 Francisco Rizal (1818-1898) Saturnina Rizal Hidalgo (1850-1913)
o Paciano Mercado Rizal (1851-1930)
o Narcisa Mercado Rizal (1852-1939)
o Olympia Mercado (1855-1887)
o Lucia Mercado Rizal (1857-1919)
 o Maria Mercado (1859-1945)
o Jose Rizal (1861-1896)
o Concepcion Mercado (1862-1865)
o Josefa Mercado (1865-1945)
o Trinidad Mercado (1868-1951)
o Soledad Mercado (1870-1929)
RIZAL'S LIFE, WORKS, AND WRITINGS
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was born on June 19, 1861,
approximately 35 years before that fateful day. The seventh of the eleven children born
to a relatively well-off family in a Dominican-owned tenant land in Calamba, Laguna,
Jose Rizal lived and died during the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines.
Jose's father, Francisco Mercado Rizal, was a productive farmer from Binan,
Laguna, while his mother, Teodora Alonzo y Quintos, was an educated and highly
cultured woman from Sta. Cruz, Manila.
In his early childhood, Jose had mastered the alphabet, learned to write and read
books like the Spanish version of the Vulgate Bible. At young age, he already showed
inclinations to arts. He amazed his family by his pencil drawings, sketches, and
moldings of clay. Later in his childhood, he showed special talent in painting and
sculpture, wrote a Tagalog play which was presented at a Calamba fiesta, and penned
a short play in Spanish which was presented in school.
At the age of eleven, Rizal attended the Ateneo Municipal de Manila and obtained at
the age of 16 his Bachelor of Arts degree with an average of "excellent". In the same
year (1877), he took Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas,
while at the same time enrolled in a course in land surveying at the Ateneo. He
finished his surveyor's training in 1877, passed the licensing exam in May 1878,
though the license was granted to him only in 1881 when he reached the age of
majority. He enrolled in medicine at the University of Santo Tomas in 1878.
Sensing however that the Filipino students were being discriminated by the Dominican
professors, he left UST without finishing his course
On May 3, 1882, he went to Spain and enrolled at the Universidad Central de
Madrid. In June of 1884, he received the degree of Licentiate in Medicine at the age
of 23. A year later, he completed his course in Philosophy and Letters with the grade of
"excellent." Wanting to cure his mother's advancing blindness, Rizal went to Paris,
Heidelberg, and Berlin to get further knowledge and training in ophthalmology. In
Heidelberg, he completed his eye specialization.
Being well-traveled, he is said to have learned 22 languages. He wrote extraordinary
poems, contributed nationalistic essays to publications, religiously kept his diary, and
corresponded to his friends and relatives. In March 1887, he published in Berlin his
first controversial novel, the Noli Me Tangere, which revealed the tyranny and
arrogance of the Spanish clergy and officials in the Philippines. To bring to light
that the Filipinos had an impressive civilization even long before the Spanish
colonization, he annotated and reprinted in Paris Morga's Successos De Las Islas
Filipinas. On September 18, 1891, Rizal's more militant novel, El Filibusterismo
was printed in Ghent.
As leader of patriotic Filipinos, he became one of the leaders of the literary and
cultural organization Propaganda Movement, the patriotic society Asociacion La
Solidaridad (Solidaridad Association), the temporary social society Kidlat Club, the
society of Filipino patriots in Paris Indio Bravo, the mysterious Redencion de los
Malayos (Redemption of the Malays), and founded the La Liga Filipina, a civic
organization that subsequently gave birth to the Katipunan. In various ways, Rizal
asked for radical reforms in the Spanish colonial system and clerical powers in the
Philippines and advocated equal rights before the law for Filipinos.
When Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892 (his second homecoming), he was
imprisoned in Fort Santiago from July 6 to July 15 on a trump-up charge that anti-
priest leaflets were found in the pillow cases of his sister Lucia who arrived with him
from Hong Kong. He was then exiled to Dapitan, an island in Mindanao. While an
exile, he engaged in agriculture, fishing, and commerce while operating a hospital and
maintaining a school for boys. Moreover, he did scientific researches, collected
specimens of rare species, corresponded with scholars abroad, and led construction of
water dam and a relief map of Mindanao.
Rizal fell in love with Josephine Bracken, a woman from Hong Kong who brought her
stepfather to Dapitan for an eye operation. Josephine became Rizal's 'common-law
wife. The couple had a child who was born prematurely, Francisco Rizal y Bracken,
who died a few hours after birth. Prior to his relationship with Josephine, Jose Rizal
had become romantically involved with other women, the most notable of whom were
Segunda Katigbak, his first love, and Leonor Rivera, his so called true love.
In 1896, Rizal received a permission from the Governor General to become a volunteer
military physician in the revolution in Cuba, which was at the time also raged by
yellow fever. But the "Katipunan' started the Philippine Revolution on August 26,
1896. The powerful people whose animosity Rizal had provoked took the opportunity
to implicate him to the rebellion. After a trial in a kangaroo court, he was convicted of
rebellion and sentenced to death by firing squad at Bagumbayan Field (now Luneta).
Dressed in a black coat and trousers and tied elbow to elbow, Rizal refused to kneel
and declined the traditional blindfold. Placid and a bit pale, he even requested to face
the firing squad, maintaining that he was not a traitor to his country and to Spain.
After some sweet-talk, Rizal agreed to turn his back but requested that he be shot in
the small of the back, for that would twist his body and cause him to fall face upward.
The night before his execution, Rizal perhaps had a mental flash back of the
meaningful events in his 35-year existence we have outlined here. But more than
anyone, he himself had known for long that his execution would certainly come to
pass, and not even an Andres Bonifacio nor Emilio Aguinaldo would have saved him
from the executioners' Remingtons and Mausers.
Facing the sky, the man died in that serene morning of December 30, 1896. But
since then, he has lived perpetually in the hearts and minds of true Filipinos.

THE RIZAL BILL

The mandatory Rizal subject in the Philippines was the upshot of this bill which
later became a law in 1956. The bill involves mandating educational institutions in the
country to offer a course on the hero's life, works, and writings, especially the 'Noli Me
Tangere' and 'El Filibusterismo'. The transition from being a bill to becoming a
republic act was however not easy as the proposal was met with intense opposition
particularly from the Catholic Church.
Largely because of the issue, the then senator Claro M. Recto-the main
proponent of the Rizal Bill was even dubbed as a communist and an anti-Catholic.
Catholic schools threatened to stop operation if the bill was passed, though Recto
calmly countered the threat, stating that if that happened, then the schools would be
nationalized. Afterward threatened to be punished in future elections, Recto remained
undeterred.
Concerning the suggestion to use instead the expurgated (edited) version of
Rizal's novels as mandatory readings, Recto explained his firm support for the
unexpurgated version, exclaiming: "The people who would eliminate the books of Rizal
from the schools would blot out from our minds the memory of the national hero. This
is not a fight against Recto but a fight against Rizal." (Ocampo, 2012, p. 23)
The bill was eventually passed, but with a clause that would allow exemptions
to students who think that reading the Noli and Fili would ruin their faith. In other
words, one can apply to the Department of Education for exemption from reading
Rizal's novels-though not from taking the Rizal subject. The bill was enacted on June
12, 1956.
RA 1425 and other Rizal laws
The Rizal Bill became the Republic Act No. 1425, known as the 'Rizal Law'.
The full name of the law is "An Act to Include in the Curricula of All Public and Private
Schools, Colleges and Universities Courses on the Life, Works and Writings of Jose
Rizal, Particularly His Novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Authorizing the
Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other Purposes."
The first section of the law concerns mandating the students to read Rizal's
novels. The last two sections involve making Rizal's writings accessible to the general
public-they require the schools to have a sufficient number of copies in their libraries
and mandate the publication of the works in major Philippine languages.
Jose P. Laurel, then senator who co-wrote the law, explained that since Jose
Rizal was the founder of the country's nationalism and had significantly contributed to
the current condition of the nation, it is only right that Filipinos, especially the youth,
know about and learn to imbibe the great ideals for which the hero died. Accordingly,
the Rizal Law aims to accomplish the following goals:
1. To rededicate the lives of youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which
our heroes lived and died
2. To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the
Filipino character
3. To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal's life, works,
and writings.
So far, no student has yet officially applied for exemption from reading Rizal's
novels. Correspondingly, former President Fidel V. Ramos in 1994, through
Memorandum Order No. 247, directed the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports
and the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education to fully implement the RA
1425 as there had been reports that the law had still not been totally carried out. In
1995, CHED Memorandum No. 3 was issued enforcing strict compliance to
Memorandum Order No. 247.
Not known to many, there is another republic act that concerns the national
hero. Republic Act No. 229 is an act prohibiting cockfighting, horse racing, and jai-
alai on the thirtieth day of December of each year and to create a committee to take
charge of the proper celebration of Rizal day in every municipality and chartered city,
and for other purposes.
The Importance of Studying Rizal
The academic subject on the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal was not
mandated by law for nothing. Far from being impractical, the course interestingly
offers many benefits that some contemporary academicians declare that the subject,
especially when taught properly, is more beneficial than many subjects in various
curricula.
The following are just some of the significance of the academic subject
1. The subject provides insights on how to deal with current problems
There is a dictum, "He who controls the past controls the future." Our view of
history forms the manner we perceive the present, and therefore influences the kind of
solutions we provide for existing problems. Jose Rizal course, as a history subject, is
full of historical information from which one could base his decisions in life. In various
ways, the subject, for instance, teaches that being educated is a vital ingredient for a
person or country to be really free and successful.
2. It helps us understand better ourselves as Filipinos
The past helps us understand who we are. We comprehensively define
ourselves not only in terms of where we are going, but also where we come from. Our
heredity, past behaviors, and old habits as a nation are all significant clues and
determinants to our present situation. Interestingly, the life of a very important
national historical figure like Jose Rizal contributes much to shedding light on our
collective experience and identity as Filipino. The good grasp of the past offered by this
subject would help us in dealing wisely with the present.
3. It teaches nationalism and patriotism
Nationalism involves the desire to attain freedom and political independence,
especially by a country under foreign power, while patriotism denotes proud devotion
and loyalty to one's nation. Jose Rizal's life, works, and writings-especially his novels
essentially, if not perfectly, radiate these traits. For one thing, the subject helps us to
understand our country better.
4. It provides various essential life lessons
We can learn much from the way Rizal faced various challenges in life. As a
controversial figure in his time, he encountered serious dilemmas and predicaments
but responded decently and high-mindedly. Through the crucial decisions he made in
his life, we can sense his priorities and convictions which manifest how noble, selfless,
and great the national hero was. For example, his many resolutions exemplified the
aphorism that in this life there are things more important than personal feeling and
happiness.
5. It helps in developing logical and critical thinking
Critical Thinking refers to discerning, evaluative, and analytical thinking. A
Philosophy major, Jose Rizal unsurprisingly demonstrated his critical thinking skills
in his argumentative essays, satires, novels, speeches, and written debates. In
deciding what to believe or do, Rizal also proved his being a reasonably reflective
thinker, never succumbing to the irrational whims and baseless opinions of anyone. In
fact, he indiscriminately evaluated and criticized even the doctrines of the dominant
religion of his time. A course on Rizal's life, works, and writings therefore is also a
lesson in critical thinking.
6. Rizal can serve as a worthwhile model and inspiration to every Filipino
If one is looking for someone to imitate, then Rizal is a very viable choice. The
hero's philosophies, life principles, convictions, thoughts, ideals, aspirations, and
dreams are a good influence to anyone. Throughout his life, he valued nationalism and
patriotism, respect for parents, love for siblings, and loyalty to friends, and maintained
a sense of chivalry. As a man of education, he highly regarded academic excellence,
logical and critical thinking, philosophical and scientific inquiry, linguistic study, and
cultural research. As a person, he manifested versatility and flexibility while
sustaining a strong sense of moral uprightness.
7. The subject is a rich source of entertaining narratives
People love fictions and are even willing to spend for books or movie tickets just
to be entertained by made-up tales. But only a few perhaps know that Rizal's life is full
of fascinating non- fictional accounts.
For instance, it is rarely known that (1) Rizal was involved in a love triangle
with Antonio Luna as also part of the romantic equation; (2) Rizal was a model in some
of Juan Luna's paintings; (3) Rizal's common-law wife Josephine Bracken was
'remarried to a man from Cebu and had tutored former President Sergio Osmeña; (4)
Leonor Rivera (Maria Clara'), Rizal's true love', had a son who married the sister of the
former President of the United Nations General Assembly Carlos P. Romulo; (5) the
Filipina beauty queen Gemma Cruz Araneta is a descendant of Rizal's sister, Maria; (6)
the sportscaster Chino Trinidad is a descendant of Rizal's 'first love' (Segunda
Katigbak); and (7) the original manuscripts of Rizal's novel (Noli and Fili) were once
stolen for ransom, but Alejandro Roces had retrieved them without paying even a
single centavo.
Jose Rizal's Bitter Sweet Life in Dapitan
THE DEPORTEE could have stayed in the Dapitan parish convent should he retracted
his 'religious errors and made a general confession of his past life. Not willing to
accede to these main conditions set by the Jesuits, Jose Rizal instead opted to live at
commandant's residence they called 'Casa Real'.
The commandant Captain Ricardo Camicero and Jose Rizal became good friends so
much so that the exile did not feel that the captain was actually his guard. Later in his
life in Dapitan, Rizal wrote a poem 'A Don Ricardo Carnicero' honoring the kind
commandant on the occasion of his birthday on August 26, 1892.
In September 1892, Rizal and Carnicero won in a lottery. The Manila Lottery ticket no.
9736 jointly owned by Rizal, Camicero, and a Spanish resident of Dipolog won the
second prize of Php 20, 0000. Rizal used some part of his share (Php 6, 200) in
procuring a parcel of land near the coast of Talisay, a barrio near Dapitan.
On a property of more than 10 hectares, he put up three houses made of bamboo,
wood, and nipa. He lived in the house which was square in shape. Another house,
which was hexagonal, was the bam where Rizal kept his chickens. In his octagonal
house lived some of his pupils for Rizal also established a school, teaching young boys
practical subjects like reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and Spanish and
English languages. Later, he constructed additional huts to accommodate his
recovering out-of-town patients.

Daily life as an exile

During his exile, Rizal practiced medicine, taught some pupils, and engaged in farming
and horticulture. He grew many fruit trees (like coconut, mango, lanzones, makopa,
santol, mangosteen. jackfruit, guayabanos, baluno, and nanka) and domesticated
some animals (like rabbits, dogs, cats. and chickens). The school he founded in 1893
started with only three pupils, and had about more than 20 students at the time his
exile ended.
Rizal would rise at five in the morning to see his plants, feed his animals, and prepare
breakfast. Having taken his morning meal, he would treat the patients who had come
to his house. Paddling his boat called 'baroto' (he had two of them), he would then
proceed to Dapitan town to attend to his other patients there the whole morning.
Rizal would return to Talisay to take his lunch. Teaching his pupils would begin at
about 2 pm and would end at 4 or 5 in the afternoon. With the help of his pupils, Rizal
would spend the rest of the afternoon in farming planting trees, watering the plants,
and pruning the fruits. Rizal then would spend the night reading and writing.

Rizal and the Jesuits

The first attempt by the Jesuit friars to win back the deported Rizal to the Catholic
fold was the offer for him to live in the Dapitan convent under some conditions.
Refusing to compromise, Rizal did not stay with the parish priest Antonio Obach in the
Church convent. Just a month after Rizal was deported to Dapitan, the Jesuit Order
assigned to Dapitan the priest Francisco de Paula Sanchez, Rizal's favorite teacher in
Ateneo. Many times, they engaged in cordial religious discussions. But though Rizal
appreciated his mentor's effort, he could not be convinced to change his mind.
Nevertheless, their differences in belief did not get in the way of their good friendship.
The priest Pablo Pastells, superior of the Jesuit Society in the Philippines, also made
some attempts by correspondence to win over to Catholicism the exiled physician.
Four times they exchanged letters from September 1892 to April 1893. The debate was
none less than scholarly and it manifested Rizal's knowledge of the Holy Scriptures for
he quoted verses from it. Though Rizal consistently attended mass in Dapitan, he
refused to espouse the conventional type of Catholicism.

Achievements in Dapitan
Rizal provided significant community services in Dapitan like improving the town's
drainage and constructing better water system using empty bottles and bamboo joints.
He also taught the town folks about health and sanitation so as to avoid the spread of
diseases. With his Jesuit priest friend Sanchez, Rizal made a huge relief map of
Mindanao in Dapitan plaza. Also, he bettered their forest by providing evident trails,
stairs, and some benches. He invented a wooden machine for mass production of
bricks. Using the bricks he produced, Rizal built a water dam for the community with
the help of his students.
As the town's doctor, Rizal equally treated all patients regardless of their economic and
social status. He accepted as fees' things like poultry and crops, and at times, even
gave his services to poor folks for free. His specialization was ophthalmology but he
also offered treatments to almost all kinds of diseases like fever, sprain, broken bones,
typhoid, and hernia.
Rizal also helped in the livelihood of the abaca farmers in Dapitan by trading their
crops in Manila. He also gave them lessons in abaca-weaving to produce hammocks.
Noticing that the fishing method by the locals was inefficient, he taught them better
techniques like weaving and using better fishing nets.

As a scientist and philologist

Aside from doing archaeological excavations, Rizal inspected Dapitan's rich flora and
fauna. providing a sort of taxonomy to numerous kinds of forest and sea creatures.
From his laboratory and herbarium, he sent various biological specimens to scientists
in Europe like his dear friend Doctor Adolph B. Meyer in Dresden. In return, the
European scholars sent him books and other academic reading materials.
From the collections he sent to European scholars, at least three species were named
after him: a Dapitan frog (Rhacophorus rizali'), a type of beetle ('Apogonia rizali'), and a
flying dragon (Draco rizali).
Having learned the Visayan language, he also engaged himself in the study of
language, culture, and literature. He examined local folklores, customs, Tagalog
grammar, and the Malay language. His intellectual products about these subjects, he
related to some European academicians like Doctor Reinhold Rost, his close
philologist friend in London.

Spies and secret emissary

Not just once did Rizal learn that his enemies' sent spies to gather incriminating
proofs that Rizal was a separatist and an insurgent. Perhaps disturbed by his
conscience, a physician named Matias Arrieta revealed his covert mission and asked
for forgiveness after he was cured by Rizal (Bantug, p.115),
In March 1895, a man introduced himself to Rizal as Pablo Mercado. Claiming to be
Rizal's relative, this stranger eagerly volunteered to bring Rizal's letters to certain
persons in Manila. Made suspicious by the visitor's insistence, Rizal interrogated him
and it turned out that his real name was Florencio Nanaman of Cagayan de Misamis,
paid as secret agent by the Recollect friars. But because it was raining that evening,
the kind Rizal did not command Nanaman out of his house but even let the spy spend
the rainy night in his place.
In July the next year, a different kind of emissary was sent to Rizal. Doctor Pio
Valenzuela was sent to Dapitan by Andres Bonifacio the Katipunan leader who
believed that carrying out revolt had to be sanctioned first by Rizal. Disguised as a
mere companion of a blind patient seeking treatment from Rizal, Valenzuela was able
to discreetly deliver the Katipunan's message for Rizal. But Rizal politely refused to
approve the uprising, suggesting that peaceful means was far better than violent ways
in obtaining freedom. Rizal further believed that a revolution would be unsuccessful
without arms and monetary support from wealthy Filipinos. He thus recommended
that if the Katipunan was to start a revolution, it had to ask for the support of rich
and educated Filipinos, like Antonio Luna who was an expert on military strategy
(Bantug, p. 133).

Visited by loved ones

Rizal was in Dapitan when he learned that his true love Leonor Rivera had died. What
somewhat consoled his desolate heart was the visits of his mother and some sisters.
In August 1893, Doña Teodora, along with daughter Trinidad, joined Rizal in Dapitan
and resided with him in his 'casa cuadrada' (square house). The son successfully
operated on his mother's cataract.
At distinct times, Jose's sisters Maria and Narcisa also visited him. Three of Jose's
nephews also went to Dapitan and had their early education under their uncle:
Maria's son Mauricio (Moris) and Lucia's sons Teodosio (Osio) and Estanislao (Tan).
Jose's nieceAngelica, Narcisa's daughter, also had experience living for some time with
her exiled uncle in Mindanao.
In 1895, Doña Teodora left Dapitan for Manila to be with Don Francisco who was
getting weaker. Shortly after the mother left, Josephine Bracken came to Jose's life.
Josephine was an orphan with Irish blood and the stepdaughter of Jose's patient from
Hongkong. Rizal and Bracken were unable to obtain a church wedding because Jose
would not retract his anti-Catholic views. He nonetheless took Josephine as his
common-law wife who kept him company and kept house for him. Before the year
ended in 1895, the couple had a child who was born prematurely. The son who was
named after Rizal's father (Francisco) died a few hours after birth. (For detailed
discussion on Rizal-Bracken relationship, look for the section "Josephine Bracken"
under "Rizal's love life".)

Goodbye Dapitan
In 1895, Blumentritt informed Rizal that the revolution-ridden Cuba, another nation
colonized by Spain, was raged by yellow fever epidemic, Because there was a shortage
of physicians to attend to war victims and disease-stricken people, Rizal in December
1895 wrote to the then Governor General Ramon Blanco, volunteering to provide
medical services in Cuba. Receiving no reply from Blanco. Rizal lost interest in his
request.
But on July 30, 1896. Rizal received a letter from the governor general sanctioning his
petition to serve as volunteer physician in Cuba. Rizal made immediate preparations
to leave, selling and giving as souvenirs to friends and students his various properties.
In the late afternoon of July 31, Rizal got on the 'España' with Josephine, Narcisa, a
niece, three nephews, and three of his students. Many Dapitan folks, especially Rizal's
students, came to see their beloved doctor for the last time. Cordially bidding him
goodbye, they shouted "Adios, Dr. Rizal!" and some of his students even cried. With
sorrowing heart, He waved his hand in farewell to the generous and loving Dapitan
folks, saying, "Adios, Dapitan!"
The steamer departed for Manila at midnight of July 31, 1896. With tears in his eyes,
Rizal later wrote in his diary onboard the ship, "I have been in that district four years,
thirteen days, and a few hours."
Jose Rizal: The Adventurous Voyager
HE DID GO PLACES!

Jose Rizal's thrilling experience during his first lake-and-river voyage perhaps inspired
him to travel more.
Riding in a casco', Jose temporarily left his hometown Calamba on June 6, 1868. He
and his father went on a pilgrimage to Antipolo and afterward visited his sister
Saturnina in Manila, who was at the time a student at La Concordia. Across Laguna
de Bay and the Pasig River, Jose had an unforgettably amazing trip that he did not fail
to record the journey in his memoir.

In Biñan and Manila

A year after, Paciano brought Jose to the nearby town Biñan to attend the school of
Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. Except for occasional homecomings, he stayed in the
town for a year and a half of schooling, living in an aunt's house where his breakfasts
generally consisted of a plate of rice and two dried sardines (tuyo").
Don Francisco sent Jose to Manila in June 1872 to enroll in Ateneo Municipal.
Paciano found Jose a boarding house in Intramuros though Jose later transferred to a
house on Calle Carballo in Santa Cruz area. The following year, Jose transferred
residence to No. 6 Calle Magallanes. Two years after, he became an intern (boarding
student) in Ateneo and stayed there until his graduation in the institution.
From 1877 to 1882, Rizal studied in the University of Santo Tomas, enrolling in the
course on Philosophy in Letters, but shifted to Medicine a year after. During his first
year in UST, he simultaneously took in Ateneo a vocational course leading to being an
expert surveyor. He boarded in the house of a certain Concha Leyva in Intramuros,
and later in "Casa Tomasina," at Calle 6, Santo Tomas, Intramuros. In 'Casa
Tomasina', his landlord-uncle Antonio Rivera had a daughter, Leonor, who became
Jose's sweetheart.

In Europe
Sick and tired of the discriminatory and oppressive Dominican professors, Rizal
stopped attending classes at UST in 1882. On May 3 of that year, he left for Spain to
complete his studies and widen his political knowledge through exposure to European
governments. It's funny that his departure for Spain had gone down to history as a
'secret departure' although at least ten sure people-including his three siblings and an
uncle-collaborated in his going away, exclusive of the unnamed and unnumbered
'Jesuit priests' and 'intimate friends' who co-conspired in the plan.
On his way to Madrid, Rizal had many stopovers. He first disembarked and visited the
town of Singapore. Onboard the steamship 'Djemnah' he passed through Punta de
Gales, Colombo, and Aden. En route to Marseilles, he also went across the historic
waterway of Suez Canal and visited the Italian city of Naples. He left Marseilles, France
for Barcelona in an express train.
After some months, Rizal left Barcelona for Madrid and enrolled in Medicine and
Philosophy and Letters at the Universidad Central de Madrid on November 3, 1882. In
Rizal's letter dated February 13, 1883, he informed Paciano of his meeting with other
Filipinos: "The Tuesday of the Carnival we had a Filipino luncheon and dinner in the
house of the Paternos, each one contributing one 'duro'. We ate with our hands, boiled
rice, chicken adobo, fried fish and roast pig."
Ironically, a year after that sumptuous feasting, Rizal became penniless as his family
encountered economic regression. One day in June 1884, Rizal who failed to eat
breakfast still went to school and even won a gold medal in a contest. At night, he
attended the feast held in honor of two award-winning Filipino painters, Juan Luna
and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo. In the occasion, he delivered a daring liberal speech
which became so controversial that it even caused sickness to his worrying mother.
Perhaps, being broke and hungry could really make one braver and more impulsive.
As one student commented, "Hayop man, 'pag gutom, tumatapang."
In 1885, Rizal who had finished his two courses in Madrid went to Paris, France. From
November 1885 to February 1886, he worked as an assistant tothe celebrated
ophthalmologist Dr. Louis de Weckert.
In February 3, 1886, he left Paris for Heidelberg, Germany. He attended lectures and
training at the University of Heidelberg where he is said to have completed his eye
specialization. Afterward, Rizal settled for three months in the nearby village,
Wilhemsfeld, at the pastoral house of a Protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ullmer. It was also
during this time that the correspondence and long-distance friendship between Jose
and Ferdinand Blumentritt began. Rizal wrote a letter in German and sent it with a
bilingual (Spanish and Tagalog) book 'Aritmiteca' to Blumentritt who was interested in
studying Jose's native language.
Jose traveled next to Leipzig and attended some lectures at its university. Having
reached Dresden afterward, he met and befriended Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, the Director
of the Anthropological and Ethnological Museum. Also a Filipinologist, Meyer showed
Rizal some interesting things taken from tombs in the Philippines.
In November 1886, he went to Berlin and further enhanced his skills and knowledge
in ophthalmology. In that famous city, not only did he learn other languages but also
became member of various scientific communities and befriended many famed
intellectuals at the time. On February 21, 1887, he finished his first novel and it came
off the press a month later.

Grand Europe Tour

With his friend Maximo Viola who loaned him some amount to cover for the printing of
the 'Noli, Rizal traveled to various places in Europe. Through Paciano's remittance,
Jose had paid Viola and decided to further explore some places in Europe before
returning to the Philippines. They went first to see Potsdam, a city southwest of Berlin
which became the site of the Potsdam Conference (1945) at which the leaders of
powerful nations deliberated upon the postwar administration of Germany.
On May 11, 1887, they left Berlin for Dresden and witnessed the regional floral
exposition there. Wanting to visit Blumentritt, they went to Leitmeritz, Bohemia
passing through Teschen (Decin, Czechoslovakia). Professor Blumentritt warmly
received them at Leitmeritz railroad station. The professor identified them through the
pencil sketch which Rizal had previously made of himself and sent to his European
friend. Blumentritt acted as their tour guide, introducing them to his family and to
famous European scientists like Dr. Carlos Czepelak and Prof. Robert Klutschak.
On May 16, the two Filipinos left Leitmeritz for Prague where they saw the tomb of the
famous astronomer Copernicus. They stopped at Brunn on their way to Vienna. They
met the famed Austrian novelist Norfenfals in Vienna, and Rizal was interviewed by
Mr. Alder, a newspaper correspondent. To see the sights of the Danube River, they left
Vienna on a boat where they saw passengers using paper napkins. From Lintz, they
had a short stay in Salzburg. Reaching Munich, they tasted the local beer advertised
as Germany's finest. In Nuremberg, they saw the infamous torture machines used in
the so-called Catholic Inquisition. Afterward, they went to Ulm and climbed Germany's
tallest cathedral there. They also went to Sttutgart, Baden, and then Rheinfall where
they saw Europe's most beautiful waterfall.
In Switzerland, they toured Schaffhausen, Basel, Bem, and Lausanne before staying in
Geneva. Rizal's 15-day stay in Geneva was generally enjoyable except when he learned
about the exhibition of some Igorots in Madrid, side by side some animals and plants.
Not only did the primitive Igorots in 'bahag' become objects of ridicule and laughter,
one of them (a woman) also died of pneumonia.

On June 19, 1887, Rizal treated Viola for it was his 26th birthday. Four days after,
they parted ways -Viola went back to Barcelona while Rizal proceeded to Italy. In Italy,
Rizal went to see Turin, Milan, Venice, and Florence. In Rome, he paid a visit to the
historical places like the Amphitheatre and the Roman Forum. On June 29, he had
seen the glorious edifices, like the St. Peter's Church, in the Vatican City. Literally and
figuratively speaking, Rizal did go places. As a co-professor commented, "Nag-gala
talaga ang lolo mo!"

First homecoming
Despite being warned by friends and loved ones, Jose was adamant in his decision to
return to his native land. From a French port Marseilles, he boarded on July 3 the
steamer 'Djemnah' which sailed to the East through the Suez Canal and reached
Saigon on the 30th of the month. He then took the steamer 'Haiphong' and reached
Manila near midnight of August 5.
After meeting some friends in Manila, he returned to Calamba on August 8. Restoring
his mother's eyesight, he began to be dubbed as "German doctor" or "Doctor Uliman"
(from the word "Aleman' which means German) and made a lot of money because
people from different places flocked him for a better vision. Because of his enemies'
allegation that Noli' contained subversive ideas, Rizal was summoned by the Governor
General Emilio Terrero. Seeing no problem in the book. Terrero nonetheless assigned
to Rizal a body guard, Don Jose Taviel de Andrade, to protect the 'balikbayan' from his
adversaries.
In December 1887, the Calamba folks asked Rizal's assistance in collecting
information as regards Dominican hacienda management. It was in compliance to the
order of the government to investigate the way friar estates were run. So Rizal had
reported, among others, that the Dominican Order had arbitrarily increased the land
rent and charged the tenants for nonexistent agricultural services. The enraged friars
pressured the governor general to 'advise' the author of the 'Noli' to leave the country.
(In other words, "napuno na talaga sa kanya ang nga pari")

Second Travel Abroad

What Rizal failed to accomplish in his six-month stay in the country was visiting his
girlfriend Leonor Rivera in Pangasinan. His father strongly opposed the idea, sensing
that the visit would put Leonor's family in jeopardy.
On February 3, 1888, Rizal sailed to Hongkong onboard 'Zafiro' and just stayed inside
the ship during its short stop at Amoy. He stayed at Victoria Hotel in Hongkong (not in
Sta. Mesa) and visited the nearby city Macao for two days along with a friend, Jose
Maria Basa. Among other things, Rizal experienced in Hong Kong the noisy
firecracker-laden Chinese New Year and the marathon lauriat party characterized by
numerous dishes being served. (The lauriat combo meal in 'Chowking' originated from
this Chinese party.)

From Hong Kong, he reached Yokohama, Japan on February 28 and proceeded to

Tokyo the next day. He lived in the Spanish legation in Tokyo upon the invitation of its
secretary, Juan Perez Caballero. In March 1888, he heard a Tokyo band nicely playing
a European music and was astonished to find out after the gig that some of its
members were Filipinos (Zaide & Zaide, p. 130). We can surmise from this that even
during Rizal's time, some Filipinos were already entertainers in Japan ('Japayuki' or
'Japayuko").
But if there were a person who was truly entertained at the time, it was Rizal himself
who was amused by the Japanese girl who used to pass by the legation everyday. The
23-year old Seiko Usui whom he fondly called 'O-Sei-San'became his tour guide and
sweetheart rolled into one.

Sail to the West

Because he loved his mission more than O-Sei-San, he boarded the 'Belgic' on April
13, 1888. In the vessel, he had befriended Tetcho Suehiro, a Japanese novelist and
human rights fighter who was also forced by his government to leave his country. The
ship arrived in San Francisco on April 28. For a week, they were however quarantined,
allegedly because of the cholera outbreak in the Far East. In reality, some politicians
were just questioning the arrival of the Chinese coolies in the ship who would displace
white laborers in railroad construction projects.
On May 6, he went to Oakland. Onboard a train, he took his evening meal at
Sacramento and woke up at Reno, Nevada. He had visited also the states of Utah,
Colorado, Nebraska, Illinois, and finally reached New York on May 13. On Bedloe
Island, he had seen the Statue of Liberty symbolizing freedom and democracy.
Inconsistently, Rizal observed that there was racial inequality in the land and real
freedom was only for the whites. But if Rizal were alive today, he would be surprised
that the Americans have already allowed a black guy to become their president for two
terms.

In Great Britain
On May 16, 1888 on the ship 'City of Rome' Rizal sailed for Liverpool and arrived on
May 24. A day after, he reached London and stayed briefly at Dr. Antonio Ma.
Regidor's home. He then boarded at the Beckett family where he fell in love with
Gertrude, the oldest daughter of his landlord.
In June 1888, Rizal made friends with Dr. Reinhold Rost and his family. Expert in
Malayan language, Rost had in his house a good Filipiniana library. Our national hero
was described by Rost as "a pearl of a man" ('una peria de hombre").
In London, Rizal manually copied and annotated Morga's 'Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas', a rare book available in the British Museum. He also became the honorary
president ofthe patriotic society Asociacion La Solidaridad (Solidaridad Association)
and wrote articles for the 'La Solidaridad'. In his 10-month stay in London, he had
short visits in Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona. In Spain, he met Marcelo H. del Pilar for
the first time.
In France
Leaving London for good, he went to Paris in March 1889. He shortly lived in the
house of a friend, Valentin Ventura before transferring in a little room where e had as
roommates two Filipinos, one of which was Jose Albert, a student from Manila. In
Paris, Rizal frequented the Bibliotheque Nationale, working on his annotation of the
'Sucesos'. He spent his spare hours in the houses of friends like Juan Luna and his
wife Paz Pardo de Tavera. Rizal witnessed the Universal Exposition of Paris, having as
its greatest attraction the Eiffel Tower.He formed the 'Kidlat Club', a temporary social
club which brought together Filipinos witnessing the exposition. He also organized the
'Indios Bravos', an association which envisioned Filipinos being recognized for being
admirable in many fields, and the mysterious Redencion de los Malayos (Redemption
of the Malays) which aimed to propagate useful knowledge. In Paris, Rizal also finished
and published his annotation of the 'Sucesos.'

In Belgium
After celebrating the Yuletide season in Paris in 1889, Rizal shortly visited London for
the last time. With Jose Albert, Rizal left Paris for Brussels on January 28, 1890. The
two stayed in a boarding house administered by the Jacoby sisters (Suzanne and
Marie) where Rizal met and had a transitory affair with Petite, the niece of his
landladies.
In Belgium, Rizal busied himself with writing the 'Fili' and contributing for La
Solidaridad using the pen names Dimas Alang and Laong Laan. When he heard the
news that the Calamba agrarian trouble was getting worse, Rizal decided to go home.
But Paciano told him through a letter that they lost the court case against the
Dominicans in the Philippines and they intended to bring the case to Madrid. This
prompted Jose to go to Madrid instead to look for a lawyer and influential people who
would defend the Calamba tenants.

In Madrid
Rizal traveled to Madrid in August 1890. Along with his lawyer, Marcelo H. Del Pilar,
he tried to seek justice for his family but could not find anyone who could help him.
Rizal encountered many adversities and tribulations in Madrid. He heard that his
family was forced to leave their land in Calamba and some family members were even
deported to far places. One day, Rizal challenged his friend Antonio Luna to a duel
when he (Luna), being unsuccessful in seeking Nellie Boustead's love, gave negative
comments on the lady. Rizal also dared to a duel Wenceslao Retana of the anti-Filipino
newspaper La Epoca' who wrote that Rizal's family did not pay their land rent. Both
duels were fortunately aborted-Luna became Rizal's good friend again and Retana
even became rizal's first non-Filipino biographer.
In Madrid, Rizal also heard the news of Leonor Rivera's marriage with an Englishman
Henry Kipping who was the choice of Leonor's mother. As if 'misfortunes' were not
enough, there emerged the Del Pilar-Rizal rivalry for leadership in the Asociacion
Hispano Filipino. The supposedly healthy election for a leader ('Responsible') produced
divisive unpleasant split among the Filipinos in Madrid (the Rizalistas vs. the
Pilaristas). Rizal thus decided to leave Madrid, lest his presence results in more
serious faction among Filipinos in Madrid.
In Biarritz, Paris, and Brussels
Rizal proceeded to take a more than a month vacation in Biarritz, a tourist town in
southwestern France noted for its mild climate and sand beaches. Arriving there in
February 1891, Rizal was welcomed as a family guest in the house of the Bousteds,
especially by Nellie whom he had a serious (but failed) romantic relationship.
In Biarritz, he continued to worked on his 'El Fili' and completed its manuscript on
March 29, the eve of his departure for Paris. Valentin Ventura hosted his short stay in
Paris, and the Jacobies, especially Petite Suzanne, cordially welcomed his arrival in
Brussels in April 1891. In Brussels, Rizal revised and prepared for printing his second
novel until the end of May. By June 1891, he was already looking for a printing firm to
print the 'El Filibusterismo.

In Ghent
Rizal went to Ghent in July 1891 because the cost of printing in the place was
cheaper. He lived in a low-cost boarding house where he had as roommate Jose
Alejandro, an engineering student in the University of Ghent. Tightening their belts,
they rented a room exclusive of breakfast. They bought a box of biscuit, counted the
contents, and computed for their daily ration for a month. In just 15 days, Alejandro
had eaten up all his shares whereas Rizal frugally limited himself to his daily
allocation.
The publisher F. Meyer-Van Loo Press, No. 66 Viaanderen Street agreed to print the 'El
Fili' on installment basis. Despite pawning all his jewels and living tightfistedly, Rizal
run out of funds and the printing had to be suspended on August 6. But through
Valentin Ventura's 'salvific' act, the 'El Filibusterismo' came off the press on
September 18, 1891. Two weeks after, he visited Paris for the last time to bid goodbye
to his friends and compatriots.

In Hong Kong and Sandakan

In October 1891, Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong onboard the ship 'Melbourne' on
which he began writing his third (but unfinished) novel. He arrived in Hong Kong on
November 20 and resided at No. 5 D' Aguilar Street, No. 2 Rednaxela Terrace. (In case
you did not notice. Rednaxela' is 'Alexander spelled reversely).
Having escaped the friars' persecution, Don Francisco, Paciano, and Silvestre Ubaldo
(Jose's brother-in-law) also arrived in Hong Kong. Shortly after, Doña Teodora and
children Lucia, Josefa, and Trinidad also came, and the Rizal family had a sort of
family reunion in the Yuletide season of 1891.
In Hong Kong, Jose opened a medical clinic. A Portuguese friend, Dr. Lorenzo P.
Marques helped him to have plentiful patrons of various nationalities. His successful
operation on his mother's left eye allowed her to read again.
In March 1892, he went to Sandakan (East Malaysia) aboard Menon' to negotiate with
British authorities concerning the founding of a Filipino colony in North Borneo (now
called Sabah). On March 21, Rizal asked Governor General Eulogio Despujol through
a letter to allow the landless Filipinos, especially the deported Calamba tenants, to
establish themselves in North Borneo. Rizal was back in Hon Kong in April, 1892.

Second homecoming
Wanting to confer with Despujol concerning his North Borneo colonization project,
Rizal left Hong Kong on June 21, 1892 along with his sister Lucia. Without his
knowledge, the Spanish consul in Hong Kong sent a cablegram to Despujol stating
figuratively that "the rat is in the trap". A secret case against Rizal was thus filed in
Manila for anti-religious and anti-patriotic public campaign.
Rizal and his sister arrived in Manila at 12:00 noon of June 26, 1892. At 7 pm, he was
able to confer in Malacañan with Despujol who agreed to pardon his father and told
him to return on June 29. He then visited sisters and friends in Manila.
On June 27, he took a train and visited his friends in Central Luzon. He had a
stopover at the Bautista mansion in Malolos, Bulacan and spent the night in the
house of Evaristo Puno in Tarlac, Tarlac, about 30 kilometers away from the residence
of Leonor Rivera-Kipping in Camiling. He also went to San Fernando and Bacolor,
Pampanga and returned to Manila on June 28, at 5 pm. On June 29, 30, and July 3,
he had other interviews with Despujol. The colonization project was rejected though
Rizal's request to lift the exile of his sisters was granted.
On the evening of July 3, Rizal spearheaded the meeting in the house of Doroteo
Ongjunco on Ylaya Street, Tondo, Manila of at least 20 Filipinos, including Andres
Bonifacio and Apolinario Mabini. Rizal explained the aims of the civic association La
Liga Filipina. Officers were then elected, having Ambrosio Salvador as the president,
thereby officially establishing the league.
Just three days after though, Rizal was arrested during his interview with the governor
general. Despujol showed him anti-friar leaflets 'Pobres Frailes' (Poor Friars) allegedly
discovered in his sister Lucia's pillow cases. Imprisoned in Fort Santiago for almost
ten days, Rizal was brought at 12:30 am on July 14 to the steamer 'Cebu. Passing
through Mindoro and Panay, the vessel docked at Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte on
the evening of July 17. True, Dapitan is a scenic place with fine beaches, perhaps a
soothing place for a 'balik-bayan' like Rizal. But Jose was not there as a tourist or a
vacationer-he was an exile. The ship captain Delgras handed him over to the local
Spanish commandant, Ricardo Carnicero and that signaled the start of Rizal's life as a
deportee in Dapitan.