Rizal in Dapitan

Presented by: Group 5

Group Leader:

Meneses, Joivie V.

Group Members:

Acelar, Brenzel Joseph M.

Dimarucut, Mark Edsel L.
Mariano, Serts B.
Salangsang, Judith
 Introduction
Rizal spent his exile years in far-off Dapitan, a small town in Mindanao that the Jesuits had
control over from 1892 to 1896. Although this four-year period of his life was tediously
boring, it was incredibly fruitful and full of diverse accomplishments. He practiced
medicine, studied science, and continued his artistic and literary endeavors, expanded his
linguistic skills, opened a boys' school, promoted community development programs,
developed a wooden brick-making machine, and worked in farming and business. Despite
his many endeavors, he maintained a continuous correspondence with his family, fellow
reformists, and distinguished European scientists and scholars, such as Blumentritt,
Reinhold Rost, A. B. Meyer, W. Joest of Berlin, S. Knuttle of Stuttgart, and N. M. Keihl of
Prague.
Beginning of Exile in Dapitan

Rizal-Pastells Debate on Religion

Rizal and Josephine Bracken
Volunteer as Military Doctor in Cuba
 Research Problem:
1. Identify the contributions of Jose Rizal in the field of science when he was in
Dapitan.

2. Determine the controversies surrounding Josephine Bracken, specifically that

she was sexually abused by her stepfather and that she had syphilis.

3. Recount the meeting of Rizal with Pio Valenzuela.

4. Describe Rizal’s fascination with witchcraft.

 Results and Discussion

Contribution to Science
·Rare specimens of animals, insects, shells & plants

Draco rizali (flying dragon) Apogonia rizali (small beetle) Rhacophorus rizali (rare frog)
 Results and Discussion

Contribution to Science
·Rich collection of Conchology Other Contributions

346 shells representing 203 species Talisay Water System: Rizal's Dam and Aqueduct
 Controversies of Josephine Bracken

Allegedly raped by her stepfather and got infected with syphilis

Austin Coates, a historian, In the book, Rizal: Philippine

novelist, a Rizal biographer, and Nationalist and Martyr, the
a former Assistant Colonial author, Austin Coates stated
Secretary of the Hong Kong that Taufer had been residing
government as well as a and working in Hong Kong,
Magistrate in the New where he had grown fond of the
Territories, has said that George city and, perhaps more
Taufer and Josephine Bracken importantly, its women. He
have an unusual relation. Coates married a Portuguese woman in
implied that Josephine suffered Macao and they had no
sexual abuse at the hands of her children. It's a good thing they
adoptive father and got infected didn't, because they were both
with syphilis. syphilitics, and in 1876 they
adopted Josephine Bracken
(Coates, 1968).

Additionally, in an interview of Austin Coates in 1996 conducted by Tikoy

Aguiluz and Noel Vera, the director and writer of the movie Rizal sa
Dapitan, Coates answered some questions about Josephine Bracken. Below
is the interview transcript.

Tikoy Aguiluz: He was American, wasn't he? (Referring to George Taufer)

Austin Coates: He had an American passport. He got one on the basis of his parents
emigrated from Germany. His brother was a much nicer, much more reliable person.
George Taufer was an out-and-out womanizer. And he had syphilis as well. That was
why Rizal couldn't treat him at all.

Tikoy Aguiluz: How did Taufer contract syphilis?

Austin Coates: You see, there were three women in Taufer's life. Two were actual
wives. And the circumstances of the wives' death, I hear, was that both wives were
syphilitic.
Meeting of Rizal
Cayabyab (2020) cited that on June 21, 1896, Dr. Pio Valenzuela,
Bonifacio's messenger, visited Rizal in Dapitan and informed him

with regarding the arrangement of the Katipunan to launch a

Pio Valenzuela
revolution. Rizal protested Bonifacio's intense undertaking
expressing that such would be a genuine self-destruction. Rizal

focused on that the Katipunan pioneers ought to do all that could
be within reach to prevent premature flow of native blood.
Valenzuela, in any case, cautioned Rizal that the Revolution will
definitely break out if the Katipunan could be found. Detecting
that the progressive chiefs were never going to budge on
sending off their brassy undertaking, Rizal instructed Valenzuela
that it would be for the wellbeing of the Katipunan to get first the
help of the rich and persuasive individuals of Manila to reinforce
their objective. He further proposed that Antonio Luna with his
insight into military science and strategies, be made to coordinate
the tactical tasks of the Revolution. With his world class roots,
Luna declined to join the Katipunan, yet he would later join the
opposition against American occupation.
 There have been intriguing investigations about the notable

Meeting of Rizal
gathering among Rizal and Valenzuela. In view of the declaration
of Pio under the watchful eye of a military court in September
with 1896, Rizal had gone against the transformation against Spain. In

Pio Valenzuela
any case, following twenty years, Valenzuela turned around his
story, saying Rizal "was not really against the revolution but

rather encouraged the Katipuneros to sit tight for the right
timing, secure the required weapons and get the help of the rich
and academic class."

This was by an article named "Jose Rizal and the Revolution"

posted on Sept. 18, 2012 on the National Historical Commission of
the Philippines' site: "Valenzuela recalled that his 1896
explanations were embellished because of duress and torment
and it was made to give the idea that in his longing 'not to
embroil' or 'save' Rizal," "This development put students of history
into an extraordinary disarray, making Rizal's stand over the
Philippine revolution questionable and easy to refute, making him
both legend and wannabe,".
Rizal and Witchcraft

While in exile in Dapitan, Rizal authored an in-

depth psychoanalytical monograph on
witchcraft entitled, "La Curacion de los
Hechizados," or "The Cure of the Bewitched,"
which was written on November 15, 1895, at the
request of Dr. Benito Francia. Rizal does not
limit the presence or powers of neighborhood
witches, but rather establishes the boundaries
of their art (Paraiso, 2012).
 Rizal and Witchcraft

Santiago (1965) emphasized that in this monograph, Rizal discussed the two forms of witchcraft practiced
by the Tagalog people: the mangkukulam and the manggagaway. He used the abbreviations mkl and
mgw for these two. The male sorcerer, known as the "mangkukulam," is thought to be a deplorable fakir
of some type, capable of hypnosis or spellcasting. This peculiar ability is either inherited or acquired as a
result of a disease, and his witchcraft is practiced in the most nefarious and horrifying way. They are
viewed as the strongest and most powerful since they "shed tears of fire" and have a gaze that can
"paralyze small animals, even flying birds." Rizal also claims that the illness brought on by the
mangkukulam is incurable. Additionally, Rizal, who truly sympathizes with the mangkukulam, explains their
unusual talents as the result of an unfortunate unintentional act. On the other hand, the female
manggaway, irascible but not necessarily old and ugly, is particularly evil, engaging in demonic arts. The
manggagaway was said to be capable of producing either a specific organic lesion (via dolls and pins) or
a functioning mental illness. This supports the account of Jesuit folklorist Fr. Francisco R. Demetrio that in
Davao as late as the 1960s, the witch called barangan obliterates a foe by pricking a fabric doll with
needles.
 Rizal and Witchcraft

Rizal also mentioned a different type of witchcraft by the manggagaway that has attracted the
attention of both doctors and town officials; it is the possessing of the witch’s spirit into a body. The
herbolarios, or native healers, use bamboo sticks, rattan canes, or stingray's tails (buntot pagi) to
drive out the witch's possessing spirit, or they use amulets and secret incantations. Rizal criticized
this kind of quackery. Considering himself a philosopher-doctor, Rizal strongly argues that the
herbolarios have mistaken a simple case of suggestion or autosuggestion for bewitching. A person
who believes in the witchcraft of someone they have offended will be driven by this idea day and
night, causing mental chaos and affecting their appetite and sleep until they lose their sanity and
become disoriented. Eventually, everyone is left with the impression that the witch has control over
every aspect of their being, including their senses.

Paraiso (2012) concluded that Rizal's perspectives on Philippine black magic, shockingly, remain
convincing today since current logical exploration has demonstrated the presence of the tremendous
and undiscovered powers of the human brain: extra-tangible insight, psycho kinesis, and mental
transaction, which makes sense of the powers displayed by antiquated shamans and witches.
References:
Cayabyab, M.J. (2020). Rizal and Valenzuela’s 1896 Meeting Immortalized in Park. Retrieved
from:https://www.onenews.ph/articles/rizal-and-valenzuela-s-1896-meeting-immortalized-in-park
Coates, A. (1968). Rizal: Philippine Nationalist and Martyr. Manila, Philippines: Solidaridad Retrieved from:
https://fdocuments.net/document/rizal-by-austin-coates-55ab585bc14e9.html?page=2
de Viana, A. (2012). A Glimpse into the Life of Josephine Bracken. Retrieved from: https://nhcp.gov.ph/a-glimpse-into-the-
life-of-josephine-bracken/
Paraiso, B.A. (2012). Curious Rizal was Fascinated by the Paranormal. Retrieved from: https://nhcp.gov.ph/curious-rizal-
was-fascinated-by-the-paranormal/
Santiago, L. (1965). Rizal and the Beginnings of the Philippine Psychiatry. Retrieved from:
http://scinet.science.ph/union/Downloads/64.%20STII-S-201800112.19v2s2n2_65-67_127286.pdf
Tayo na, Valenzuela. (n.d.). Philippine Revolution. Retrieved from: https://www.valenzuela.gov.ph/article/news/72
The Kahimyang Project. (n.d.). Dr. Jose Rizal in Dapitan and the Katipunan. Retrieved from:
https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/822/dr-jose-rizal-in-dapitan-and-the-katipunan
Vera, N. (2015). Rizal Weather (or: Undressing Josephine Bracken) --an interview with writer and historian Austin Coates.
Retrieved from: https://criticafterdark.blogspot.com/2015/06/rizal-weather-or-undressing-josephine_12.html
Zaide, G. (1984). Jose Rizal: Life, Works and Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero. Manila, Philippines:
National Book Store. Retrieved from: https://dokumen.pub/jose-rizal-life-works-and-writings-of-a-genius-writer-scientist-
and-national-hero-second-edition-9712733238-9789712733239.html
Thank you
for listening!