CHAPTER 22 - Exile in Dapitan (July 17, 1892 to July 31, 1896 (Four (4) years))

Dapitan is in Mindanao which is under the missionary jurisdiction of the Jesuits (1892-1896)

What Rizal did in Dapitan:

1. Practised medicine
2. Pursued scientific studies
3. Continued artistic and literary works
4. Widened his knowledge of languages
5. Established school for boys
6. Promoted community devt projects
7. Invented wooden machine for making bricks engaged in farming and commerce

But he still kept an extensive correspondence with his family, relatives, fellow reformists, eminent
scientists, and scholars of Europe including:

1. Blumentritt
2. Reinhold Rost
3. A.B. Meyer
4. W. Joest of Berlin
5. S. Knuttle of Stuttgart
6. N.M. Keihl of Prague

Steamer Cebu – brought Rizal to Dapitan

– Also carried letter from Father Pablo Pastells (Superior Jesuit Society in the
Philippines) to Father Antnio Obach (Jesuit Parish Priest in Dapitan) informing Rizal
could live at the parish convent on the ff. conditions:
1.
2.
3.

But Rizal did not agreed with these three (3) conditions. Rizal instead lived in the
house of Captain Ricardo Carnicero (the warden).

Rizal wrote a poem about the generous Captain entitled A Don Ricardo
Carnicero on August 26, 1892 (Captain’s birthday).

Rizal wins Manila Lottery – September 21, 1892 – Ticket No. 9736 – Second Prize of P 20,000 – P 6,200
Rizal’s share – delivered by mail boat Butuan

Ticket was jointly owned by Captain Carnicero, Dr. Rizal, Francisco Equilior (Spanish
resident in Dipolog, a neighbour town of Dapitan).

Captain Carnicero thought it was a high Spanish official so hastily dressed in gala
uniform, ordered the town folks to be at the shore, and rush himself bringing the brass band.

In Madrid (1882-1885) he always invested at least three pesetas every month in lottery tickets.

“This was his only vice.”- Wenceslao E. Retana – Spanish biographer & former enemy
Rizal-Pastells Debate on Religion

Started when: Father Pastells sent Rizal a book by Sarda. The religious debate may be read in
four letters written by Rizal, as follows:

1. September 1, 1892
2. November 11, 1892
3. January 9, 1893
4. April 4, 1893

Father Pastells’ replies dated:

1. October 12, 1892

2. December 8, 1892
3. February 2, 1893
4. April (no exact date), 1893

January 20, 1890 – Rizal wrote to Blumentritt from Paris about friars who utilized religion to hide behind
it

Rizal and Pastells remained good friends.

Father Pastells gave Rizal Imitacion de Cristo (Imitation of Christ) by Father Thomas a Kempis.

Rizal gave Father Pastells a bust of St. Paul which Rizal made.

Rizal remained a Catholic – Catholicism of Renan and Teilhard de Chardin

Rizal became involved in a quarrel with – Mr. Juan Lardet – French acquaintance in Dapitan, a business
man

Mr. Juan Lardet purchased many logs from Rizal and it so happened that some of the logs were
of poor quality.

Lardet wrote to Antonio Miranda – a Dapitan merchant and friend of Rizal – expressing his
disgust with the business deal. Miranda sent the letters to Rizal and Rizal challenged him to a duel.

Carnicero told Lardet to apologize than challenge.

March 30, 1893 in Dapitan – Lardet wrote to Rizal apologizing for the insulting comment

Pundonor – Hispanic chivalric code

Rizal has also challenged:

1. Antonio Luna – 1890

2. W.E. Retana – 1890

Father Pastells in order to bring back Rizal within the Catholic fold:
 1. Instructed two Jesuits in Mindanao:
a. Father Obach – cura of Dapitan
b. Father Jose Vilaclara – cura of Dipolog
2. Assigned Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez – Rizal’s favorite teacher at Ateneo de Manila
to Dapitan

Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez – the only Spanish priest to defend Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere in public

– Spent three years in Europe

– Returned to Manila 1881
– Resumed teaching in Ateneo
– Head its museum

Rizal gave Father Sanchez a manuscript – Estudios sobre la lengua tagala (Studies on the Tagalog
Language) – a Tagalog grammar

August 1893 – Family of Rizal took turns in visiting him. Among them were:

a. Dona Teodora
b. Trinidad
c. Maria
d. Narcisa
e. Teodosio (nephew)
f. Estanislao
g. Mauricio
h. Prudencio

Rizal built his house by the seashore of Talisay (1 km away from Dapitan). – Square

Other houses:

1. For his school boys – Teaching Arithmetic, Spanish, and English – Octagonal
2. Hospital for his patients –

Hexgonal – Live his chickens

Therefore, three houses all in all. All made of bamboo, wood, and nipa

Rizal also has two canoes/barotos.

December 19, 1893 – Rizal wrote to Blumentritt

-read passage in the book-

RIZAL’S ENCOUNTER WITH THE FRIAR’S SPY PG. 224