2. INTENTIONS TO RETURN
Rizal's mindset was to finish his business in
Europe before coming home. He thought of
continuing the fight in the Philippines because he
believed that the battle was in the Philippines; not
in a foreign soil (Quirino: 1997). He needed to be
present in order to address the problems at hand.
3. AGONIES IN MADRID
Prior to his return to the Philippines, Rizal had to face several
agonies in Madrid as enumerated below;
1. Rizal and Del Pilar Rivalry
The paisanos in Europe were searching for a leader to head
the Propaganda Movemement in Europe. Personalities there
like to Del Pilar Jose Rizal and M. H. Del Pilar (both are
members of Masonry) were among the competent candidates.
Jose Rizal did not want to divide the Filipinos so he left the
leadership which created some speculations that either Rizal
was jealous of M.H. Del Pilar or he was busy writing his
second novel- El Filibusterismo.
4. 2. Duel with Antonio Luna
Another misery confronted by Rizal was the duel with Antonio Luna
because Luna blamed Rizal for not winning Nellie Bousted's heart.
Rizal challenges Luna in a fencing even if Luna was an expert in sword
so that he can easily defeat Rizal. In the end, the two agreed that the
cause of the Philippine independence is more important than their
personal interests.
3. Challenge with Wenceslao Retana
Another problem which Rizal faced was the challenge posed by
Wenceslao Retana, who attacked the Propaganda Movement particularly
the medium- La Solidaridad as well as the problems confronting the
Mercados in Kalamba, Laguna. Rizal challenged Retana in a fencing
match but the latter sent his apology to settle their differences.
5. . Later, Retana wrote a biography of Rizal entitled- La Vida y
Escritos del Dr. Jose Rizal. In this book, Retana insists that the
death of Dr. Rizal was a death imposed by the colonial powers of
Spain.
4. Infidelity of Leonor Rivera
Another blow to Rizal's morale was the impending marriage of
Leonor Rivera to an Englishman, Charles Henry Kipping on June 17,
1891. It was the biggest blow experienced by Rizal. He cried like a
child upon learning the infidelity of Leonor. Though there were
speculations that it was an arranged marriage, it could be that there
was no communication between Jose and Leonor for a long time.
Though he was brokenhearted, Rizal dedicated his remaining years
to the service of his countrymen in the noble cause of Reformism.
6. 5. Problems with the Kalamba Tenants
Another problem faced by Rizal was the decision of the Real Audiencia
in Kalamba over the Hacienda unrest where the Court decided in favor
of the Dominicans who handled the Kalamba tenants at that time. He
also received letters from his sister about the possible eviction
confronted by Rizal's family.
BACK TO HONGKONG
After spending several years in Europe, Rizal decided to return to the
Philippines. He stopped over in Hongkong to reunite with his family.
While in Hongkong, he practiced his medical expertise and continued
to write several articles.
7. ARRIVAL IN MANILA
• Rizal left Hongkong with his sister Lucia, on June 21, 1892.
• Governor-General Eulogio Despujol was informed of his his arrival.
Rizal and his sister boarded the steamer, Don Juan.
• Upon arrival in Manila, Rizal made a courtesy call to Malacanang and
requested for the freedom of his father, Don Francisco, which was
promptly granted by the Governor-General.
• It is said that Rizal had fallen into the Spanish trap of goodwill but in
a few months Rizal becomes the victim of Spanish injustice.
• Rizal also visited his friends in Central Luzon aiming to solicit advices
on the prevailing agrarian problems in Laguna.
• It was on July 3, 1892, when Rizal organized La Liga Filipina,
which was believed to be a Masonic organization which aims to ask
for reforms for the country.
8. Their main motto was- unus instar omnium or one like all. The
constitution of the La Liga is the following; (cited in Lopez and
Paras, 2010)
1. The unification of the Philippine archipelago into a compact
and homogenous body;
2. Mutual protection of the members in every want and necessity;
3. Defense against all violence and injustices;
4. Promotion of education, agriculture and businesses; and
5. Study and application of reforms.
9. DEPORTATION TO DAPITAN
• Upon the learning that Rizal's sister Lucia had some copies of
Pobres Frailes (written by Rizal under the pen name, Father
Jacinto) allegedly the inspectors reported it to the Governor
General.
• The Governor General ordered the arrest of Rizal and he was
placed incommunicado for 8 days.
• Rizal was also thinking about his deportation to Dapitan, one of
the island provinces in Zamboanga Del Norte, Mindanao Island
where Rizal spent his years from July, 1892 to July, 1896
before his trial and martyrdom at the Bagumbayan.
• The steamer SS Cebu arrived in Dapitan on July 17, 1892 at 7'o
clock post meridiem.
• He was assisted by Ricardo Carnicero, the Military Governor in
Dapitan at that time.
10. • Rizal spent his memorable times in Dapitan as a teacher;
botanist, architect, surveyor, farmer.
• -He was accompanied by his sweetheart, Josephine Bracken, an
Irish woman who became a member of the revolution upon Rizal's
death.
LIFE IN DAPITAN
• Rizal had a prosperous life in Dapitan. He became barrio doctor
as well as barrio teacher (using his travel cards as teaching aid).
11. • Rizal gained his financial earnings when he won in a lottery worth
6,200pesos. He spent the money on his family, and buying lands in
the area as well as investing his money in other businesses (the
Borneo Project was one of those business ventures of Rizal that
time).
• Here, he met Fr. Pablo Pastell SJ with whom he had theological
and philosophical discussions about faith and salvation. Some of
his literary works in Dapitan are enumerated below;
1. El Canto del Viajero (Song of the Traveler)
- It was one of Rizal's poem as a traveling man. This was the
translation of Nick Joaquin, one of the prolific Filipino writers.
12. Dry leaf that flies at random
till it's seized by a wind from above:
so lives on earth the wanderer,
without north, without soul,
without country or love!
Anxious, he seeks joy everywhere
and joy eludes him and flees,
a vain shadow that mocks his
yearning
and for which he sails the seas.
Impelled by a hand invisible,
he shall wander from place to place;
memories shall keep him company
of loved ones, of happy days.
A tomb perhaps in the desert,
a sweet refuge, he shall discover,
by his country and the world forgotten
Rest quiet: the torment is over.
And they envy the hapless wanderer
as across the earth he persists!
Ah they know not of the emptiness
in his soul, where no love exists.
The pilgrim shall return to his country
shall return perhaps to his shore;
and shall find only ice and ruin,
perished loves, and graves nothing more.
13. Begone, wanderer! In your own
country,
a stranger now and alone!
Let the others sing of loving,
who are happy but you, begone!
Begone, wanderer!
Look not behind you
nor grieve as you leave again.
Begone, wanderer:
stifle your sorrows!
the world laughs at another's pain.
14. 2. Hymn to Talisay
This poem was dedicated by Rizal to the residents of Talisay,
Dapitan where he resided for almost 4 years.
Hail, Talisay, firm and faithful, ever
forward march elate!
You, victorious, the elements
-land, sea and air-
shall dominate!
The sandy beach of Dapitan and
the rocks of its lofty mountain are
your throne. O sacred asylum
where I passed my childhood days!
In your valley covered with flowers
and shaded by fruitful orchards,
our minds received their formation,
both body and soul, by your grace.
We are children, children born
late, but our spirits are fresh
and healthy; strong men shall
we be tomorrow that can guard
a family right.
We are children that nothing
frightens, not the waves, nor
the storm, nor the thunder;
the arm ready, the young face
tranquil, in a fix we shall know
how to fight.
15. We ransack the sand in our frolic;
through the caves and the thickets
we ramble; our houses are built
upon rocks;
our arms reach far and wide.
No darkness, and no dark night,
that we fear, no savage tempest;
if the devil himself comes forward,
we shall catch him, dead or alive!
Talisayon, the people call us: a great
soul in a little body; in Dapitan and
all its region
Talisay has no match!
Our reservoir is unequalled; our
precipice is a deep chasm; and when
we go rowing, our bancas no banca
in the world can catch!
We study the problems of science and
the history of the nation.
We speak some three or four
languages;
faith and reason we span.
Our hands can wield at the same time
the knife, the pen and the spade, the
picket, the rifle, the sword-
companions of a brave man.
Long live luxuriant Talisay!
Our voices exalt you in chorus, clear
star, dear treasure of childhood, a
childhood you guide and please.
In the struggles that await the grown
man, subject to pain and sorrow,
your memory shall be his amulet, and
your name, in the tomb, his peace.
16. 3. Mi Retiro (My Retreat)
This poem was Rizal's expression when he was alone in
Talisay, living as an exile and prisoner of the island.
Beside a spacious beach of fine and delicate
sand and at the foot of a mountain greener
than a leaf, I planted my humble hut beneath a
pleasant orchard, seeking in the still serenity of
the woods repose to my intellect and silence to
my grief.
Its roof is fragile nipa; its floor is brittle
bamboo; its beams and posts are rough as
rough-hewn wood can be;
of no worth, it is certain, is my rustic cabin;
but on the lap of the eternal mount it slumbers
and night and day is lulled by the crooning of
the sea.
17. The overflowing brook, that from
the shadowy jungle descends
between huge bolders, washes it
with its spray, donating a current
of water through makeshift
bamboo pipes that in the silent
night is melody and music and
crystalline nectar in the noon heat
of the day.
If the sky is serene, meekly flows
the spring, strumming on its
invisible zither unceasingly;
but come the time of the rains,
and an impetuous torrent spills
over rocks and chasms hoarse,
foaming and aboil-to hurl itself
with a frenzied roaring toward the
sea.
The barking of the dog, the
twittering of the birds, the hoarse
voice of the kalaw are all that I
hear; there is no boastful man, no
nuisance of a neighbor to impose
himself on my mind or to disturb
my passage;
only the forests and the sea do I
have near.
The sea, the sea is everything! Its
sovereign mass brings to me
atoms of a myriad faraway lands;
its bright smile animates me in
the limpid mornings; and when at
the end of day my faith has
proven futile, my heart echoes the
sound of its sorrow on the sands.
18. At night it is a mystery! ... Its
diaphanous element is carpeted
with thousands and thousands of
lights that climb; the wandering
breeze is cool, the firmament is
brilliant, the waves narrate with
many a sigh to the mild wind
histories that were lost in the dark
night of time.
"Tis said they tell of the first
morning on the earth, of the first
kiss with which the sun inflamed
her breast, when multitudes of
beings materialized from nothing
to populate the abyss and the
overhanging summits and all the
places where that quickening kiss
was pressed.
But when the winds rage in the
darkness of the night and the
unquiet waves commence their
agony, across the air move cries that
terrify the spirit, a chorus of voices
praying, a lamentation that seems to
come from those who, long ago,
drowned in the sea.
Then do the mountain ranges on
high reverberate;
the trees stir far and wide, by a fit of
trembling seized; the cattle moan;
the dark depths of the forest
resound; their spirits say that they
are on their way to the plain,
summoned by the dead to a
mortuary feast.
19. The wild night hisses, hisses,
confused and terrifying; one sees
the sea afire with flames of green
and blue; but calm is re-
established with the approach of
dawning and forthwith an intrepid
little fishing vessel begins to
navigate the weary waves anew.
So pass the days of my life in my
obscure retreat;
cast out of the world where once I
dwelt: such is my rare good
fortune; and Providence be
praised for my condition: a
disregarded pebble that craves
nothing but moss to hide from all
the treasure that in myself I bear.
I live with the remembrance of those
that I have loved and hear their
names still spoken, who haunt my
memory; some already are dead,
others have long forgotten but what
does it matter? I live remembering
the past and no one can ever take
the past away from me.
It is my faithful friend that never
turns against me, that oheers my
spirit when my spirit's a lonesome
wraith, that in my sleepless nights
keeps watch with me and prays with
me, and shares with me my exile
and my cabin, and, when all doubt,
alone infuses me with faith.
20. Faith do I have, and I believe the day
will shine when the Idea shall defeat
brute force as well; and after the
struggle and the lingering agony a
voice more eloquent and happier
than my own will then know how to
utter victory's canticle.
I see the heavens shining, as
flawless and refulgent as in the days
that saw my first illusions start;
I feel the same breeze kissing my
autumnal brow, the same that once
enkindled my fervent enthusiasm
and turned the blood ebullient
within my youthful heart.
Across the fields and rivers of my
native town perhaps has traveled
the breeze that now I breathe by
chance;
perhaps it will give back to me
what once I gave it: the sighs and
kisses of a person idolized and the
sweet secrets of a virginal romance.
On seeing the same moon, as
silvery as before, I feel within me
the ancient melancholy revive; a
thousand memories of love and
vows awaken: a patio, an azotea, a
beach, a leafy bower; silences and
sighs, and blushes of delight
21. A butterfly athirst for radiances
and colors, dreaming of other skies
and of a larger strife, I left, scarcely
a youth, my land and my
affections, and vagrant everywhere,
with no qualms, with no terrors,
squandered in foreign lands the
April of my life.
And afterwards, when I desired, a
weary swallow, to go back to the
nest of those for whom I care,
suddenly fiercely roared a violent
hurricane
and I found my wings broken, my
dwelling place demolished, faith
now sold to others, and ruins
everywhere.
Hurled upon a rock of the country I
adore;
the future ruined; no home, no
health to bring me cheer; you come
to me anew, dreams of rose and
gold, of my entire existence the
solitary treasure, convictions of a
youth that was healthy and
sincere.
No more are you, like once, full of
fire and life, offering a thousand
crowns to immortality;
somewhat serious I find you; and
yet your face beloved, if now no
longer as merry, if now no longer as
vivid, now bear the superscription
of fidelity.
22. You offer me, O illusions, the cup of
consolation; you come to reawaken the
years of youthful mirth; hurricane, I thank
you; winds of heaven, I thank you that in
good hour suspended by uncertain flight to
bring me down to the bosom of my native
earth.
Beside a spacious beach of fine and delicate
sand and at the foot of a mountain greener
than a leaf, I found in my land a refuge
under a pleasant orchard, and in its
shadowy forests, serene tranquility, repose
to my intellect and silence to my grief.
24. Josephine Bracken, his Irish sweetheart was one of the
wondrous part of Rizal's life in Dapitan. She accompanied
Taufer with a cataract who wanted to seek medical advice
from Rizal who was an ophthalmologist. Upon learning that
Rizal and Josephine are planning for their marriage, he
slashed his wrist (and even his throat according to other
reckonings). The Rizal family were not happy about this
love affair because they suspect that Josephine was sent
by the friars as a spy.
25. Still, the two lived as husband and wife. They exchanged
their marriage vows in front of God as they believe that God
will bless their union. Josephine gave birth to a baby boy
who was named by Jose as "Francisco" following his father's
name. Unfortunately, the infant lived for only an hour before
he died.
