CHAPTER 22

Exile in Dapitan, 1892-96

Rizal lived in exile in far away Dapitan, a

remote town in Mindanao which was under the
missionary jurisdiction of the Jesuits, from
1892 to 1896. He practised medicine, pursued
scientific studies, continued his artistic and
literary works widened his knowledges,
established a school for boys, promoted
community development projects, invented a
wooden machine for making bricks, and
engaged in farming and commerce.

BEGINNING OF EXILE IN
D A P I TA N
Cebu steamer, which brought Rizal to Dapitan
carried a letter from Fr. Pablo Pastells to Fr. Antonio
Obach.
Father Superior Pastells informed Father Obach
that Rizal could live at the parish convent on the
following conditions:
1. That Rizal publicly retract his errors concerning
religion, and make statements that were clearly proSpanish and against revolution.

2. That he perform the church rites and make

a general confession of his past life.
3. That henceforth he conduct himself in an
exemplary manner as a Spanish subject and a
man of religion.
He lived in the house of the commandant,
Captain Carnicero.
The relations between Carnicero and Rizal
were warm and friendly.
August 26, 1892 Rizal wrote a poem, A Don
Ricardo Carnicero.

W I N S I N M A N I L A L O T T E RY
September 21, 1892 the sleepy town of
Dapitan burst in hectic excitement.
Butuan mail boat with colored pennants
flying in the sea breezes.
Lottery Ticket No. 9736 jointly owned by
Captain Carnicero, Dr. Rizal, and Francisco
Equilior won the second prize of P20,000.

P6,200 Rizals share of the winning

lottery ticket.
P2,000 Rizal gave to his father.
P200 to his friend Basa in Hong Kong
And the rest he invested well by
purchasing agricultural lands along the
coast of Talisay.
He never drank hard liquor and never
smoked, but he was a lottery addict.

1882 1885 he always invested at least

three pesetas every month in lottery tickets.
Wenceslao E. Retana his first Spanish
biographer and former enemy, commented
This was his only vice.

R I Z A L - PA S T E L L S

D E B AT E O N R E L I G I O N

It started when Fr. Pastells sent him a book by

Sarda, with advice that the latter (Rizal) should
desist from his majaderas in viewing religion from
the prism of individual judgment and self-esteem.
This interesting 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
()In Fr. 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:

I want to hit the friars,

but only friars who utilized
religion not only as a
shield, but also as a
weapon, castle, fortress,
armor, etc.; I was forced to
attack their false and
supertitious religion in
order to fight the enemy
who hid himself behind it.

 According to Rizal individual judgment is

a gift from God and everybody should use it
like a lantern to show the way and that
self-esteem, if moderated by judgment,
saves man from unworthy acts.
Rizal: religions may vary, but they all lead
to the light.
Fr. Pastells tried his best to win back Rizal
to the fold of Catholicism.
The interesting debate between two
brilliant polemicists ended inconclusively.
Imitacin de Cristo a famous Catholic
book by Fr. Thomas a Kempis.
Catholicism of Renan and Teilhard de
Chardin.

RIZAL CHALLENGES A
FRENCHMAN TO A DUEL
Mr. Juan Lardet a businessman, a French
acquiantance in Dapitan.
Lardet wrote to Antonio Miranda: if he (Rizal
Z.) were a truthful man, he would have told me that
the lumber not included in the account were bad.
Miranda indiscreetly forwarded Lardets letter to
Rizal.

 Immediately, he confronted Lardet and

challenged him to a duel.
Carnicero to the Frenchman: My friend, you
have not a Chinamans chance in a fight with
Rizal on a field of honor. Rizal is an expert in
martial arts, particularly in fencing and pistol
shooting.
March 30, 1893 Lardet wrote to Rizal in
French.
Rizal, as a gentleman and well-versed in
pundonor (hispanic chivalric code) accepted
the apology, and good relations between him
and the Frenchman were restored.
Rizal challenged people in Duel Antonio
Luna in 1890 and W. E. Retana in the same

R I Z A L A N D FAT H E R S A N C H E Z
Fr. Pastells instructed two Jesuits in Mindanao
Fr. Obach, cura of Dapitan, and Fr. Jose Vilaclara,
cura of Dipolog.
Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez Rizals favorite
teacher at the Ateneo de Manila, to Dapitan.
He was the only Spanish priest to defend Rizals
Noli me Tangere in public.

 Immediately, upon his arrival in Dapitan, Fr.

Sanchez lost no time in meeting his former
favorite student.
But all efforts of Sanchez were in vain. For
once, Rizal could not be convinced by his
former beloved teacher.
Estudios sobre la lengua tagala (Studies on
the Tagalog Language) a Tagalog grammar
which Rizal wrote and which he dedicated to
his beloved former teacher.

I D Y L L I C L I F E I N D A P I TA N
August, 1893 members of his family took turns in
visiting him in order to assuage his loneliness in the
isolated outpost Spanish power in the Moroland.
Among them were his mother; sisters Trinidad, Maria,
Narcisa; and nephews Teodosio, Estanislao, Mauricio, and
Prudencio.
He Built his house by the seashore of Talisay, surrounded
by fruit trees. He had also another house for his school
boys and a hospital for his patients.

 December 19, 1893 Rizal wrote to

IBlumentritt:
shall tell you how we live here. I have three
houses: one square, another hexagonal, and a third
octagonal, all of bamboo, wood, and nipa. In the
square house we live, my mother, sister Trinidad, a
nephew and I; in the octagonal live my boys or some
good youngsters whom I teach arithmethic, Spanish
and English; and in the hexagonal live my chickens.
From my house I hear the murmur of a crystal, clear
brook which comes from the high rocks; I see the
seashore, the sea where I have small boats, two
canoes or barotos, as they say here. I have many
fruit trees, mangoes, lanzones, guayabanos, baluno,
nanka, etc. I have rabbits, dogs, cats, etc. I rise early
at 5 visit my plants, feed the chickens, awaken
my people and put them in movement. At half-past
seven we breakfast with tea, pastries, cheese,
sweatmeats, etc. later I treat my poor patients who
come to my land; I dress, go to the town in my
baroto, treat the people there, and return at 12,

R I Z A L S E N C O U N T E R W I T H
THE FRIARS SPY
November 1893 Rizal was living peacefully and
happily at his house in talisay.
November 3 1893 Pedro Mercado secretly visited
Rizal at his house.
In the course of their conversation the strange
visitor offered his services as a confidential courier of
Rizals letters and writings for the patriots in Manila.

 Rizal went to the comandancia and

denounced the impostor to Captain Juan
Sitges (who succeeded Captain Carnicero on
May 4, 1893 as commandant of Dapitan. .
Without much ado, Sitges ordered the arrest
of Pablo Mercado and instructed Anastacio
Adriatico, to investigate him immediately.
The real name of Pablo Mercado was
Florencio Namanan.
He was a native of Cagayan de Misamis,
single and about 30 years old.

 Strangely, Commandant Sitges suddenly

quashed the investigation and released the
spy.
Rizal, who was surprised at the turn of events
requested for a copy of the proceedings of the
investigation, but Sitges denied his request.
These available documents on the failed
mission of the friarsspy have been quoted by
three Rizalist biographers Retana (1907),
Palma (1949), and Jose Baron Fernandez
(1982).

 It is Rizals letter to his brother-in-law, Manuel

T. Hidalgo, written in Dapitan, December 20,
1893, as follows:
My Dear Brother-in-Law Maneng,
I was unable to write you by the previous
mail for lack of time, for the boat left
unexpectedly.
With regard to Pablo Mercado, I tell you that
he came here presenting himself as a courteous
friend in order to get from me my letters,
writings, etc.; but I found him out soon, and if I
did not throw him out of the house brusquely, it
was because I always want to be nice and polite
to everyone. Nevertheless, as it was raining, I
let him sleep here, sending him

Away very early the next day. I was going to

let him alone in contempt but the rascal went
around saying secretly that he was my cousin
or brother-in-law, I reported him to the
Commandant who had him arrested.
It was revealed in his declaration that he
was sent by the Recollects who gave him P72
and promised him more if he succeeded in
wrestling from me my letters for certain
persons in Manila. The rascal told me that he
was a cousin of one Mr. Litonjua, son of Luis
Chiquito, according to him and brother-in-law
of Marciano Ramirez. He wanted me to write
to these gentlemen. He brought along besides
a picture of mine, saying that it was given to
him by one Mr. Legaspi of Tondo or San
Nicolas, I dont remember exactly. It seems
that he belongs to a good family of Cagayan
de Misamis. Be careful of him, he is a tall boy,
somewhat

Thickset, slightly squint-eyed, dark, slender,

broad shoulders, and of impudent manners.
He smokes much, spits more, and has thin
lips.
...............
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Your brother-in-law who loves
you,
(Signed) Jose Rizal.