Exile, Trial and Death
Manila North Cemetery was once the burial site of Dr. Rizal - False
Rizal did not get his dying wish-to have simple burial at ‘Paang Bundok'
- By: Ramon M. Roda Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:30 AM December 26, 2016
Here is an undated letter Rizal sent to his family before his execution, containing his burial
wishes. It reads:
“Dear parents, brothers, sisters: Give thanks to God who has kept me tranquil, before my death ...
Bury me in the earth, put a stone on fop, and a cross. My name, the date of my birth, and that of
my death. Nothing more. If later you should wish to surround my grave with a fence, you can do
it. No anniversary celebrations! | prefer ‘Paang Bundok.’”
Paang Bundok was the cemetery north of Manila, now known as North Cemetery.
“Rizal's remains,” writes Leon Ma. Guerrero, “were not buried according to his wish at Paang
Bundok, but first at Paco Cemetery, and then transferred to the Luneta on Dec. 30, 1912.
DID YOU KNOW: Rizal's remains exhumed from Paco Cemetery on Aug. 17, 1898
At the time of Rizal's deportation to Dapitan, the place had long been a politico-military outpost
of the Spaniards in the Philippines (Qurino, 1971). It was one the forefronts of Spanish culture,
religion, and civilization in Muslim Mindanao. It was headed by a politico- military commander
and with a parish priest, tasked with the conversion of the island into Catholicism.
Rizal arrived at Dapitan on July 17, 1892, on board the steamer Cebu. The place was swampy
with unplanned streets, at the time Rizal set foot in Dapitan.
Nonetheless, he found its land fertile. There was no potable water in the place, as well as a
lighting system, which made the town appear desolate. People were dying of different diseases,
as they were not provided proper medical services by the authorities. The economy was tied to
primitive agriculture, with an undeveloped fishing industry.
RIZAL As AN EXILE: LIFE IN DAPITAN
- In July 1892, after his 2°¢ homecoming from Europe turned bittersweet when he was
arrested and was exiled to Dapitan.
- He then boarded a vessel that will ferry him to Dapitan
- He met Captain Ricardo Carnicero who offered him to live either in his house or at Jesuit
Mission House
- Rizal, opted not to stay with the Jesuits, on account of the following conditions stated in
Fr. Pastells letter to Fr. Obach, which he has to comply with:
- 1) to make public retraction of his religious errors
- 2) to issue public statements unmistakably pro-Spanish
- 3) to Undergo the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius
- 4) to make a general confession of his past life and
- 5) to lead a model religious and pre- Spanish life.
RIZAL BUILDS HIS HOME AT TALISAY
- Rizal stayed with Capitan Carnicero at the beginning of his exile in Dapitan. After two
months in the area, Rizal was able to build his own home in Dapitan. This was because
his ticket won in the Spanish lottery.
- Way back in Europe, he was so fond of buying these tickets while he was studying at the
Unibersidad Central de Madrid. For the first time, he won a prize amounting to 1000 PhP.
- With cash on hand, Rizal immediately bought land in talisay, which was more than 70
hectares. He then constructed house made of nipa and bamboo, with a veranda at front
and to one side of the house.
- As a physician, he was cognizant of the danger of dysentery and cholera germs from an
open pit, so he took all the necessary precautions to prevent their occurrence in his own
home
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP IN DAPITAN
- After a few weeks of familiarizing himself with his new environment, Rizal found
himself busy with a round of activities for Dapitan and its people. He conceptualized and
implemented plans for beautifying the town. He drew a sketch of the public plaza with
suggested improvements and had it approved by Governor Carnicero.
- With the assistance of the newly arrived Father Sanchez, his former teacher at Ateneo
Municipal, Rizal constructed a huge relief map of Mindanao out of stones, earth and
grass.
- He facilitated the putting up of lamp posts at every corner of the town, with the help of
the people. He directed the construction of a water system.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP IN DAPITAN: As A TEACHER
- Rizal soon opened a school for young boys of his neighborhood.
- The subject offered to these young boys consisted of Reading, writing, arithmetic,
geometry, languages, geography, history and good conduct.
- As a teacher, Rizal saw to it that his pupils were not only equipped with learning skills.
Thus , training of pupils centered on both academic and vocational pursuits.
- He also taught his pupils boxing, swinging on parallel bars and rings, swimming and
arnis on account of his belief that a sounded body makes a sound mind
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP IN DAPITAN: AS A PHYSICIAN
- Rizal became interested in local medicine and in the use of medicinal plants. He studied
the medicinal plants of the Philippines and their curative values. To the poor patients,
who could not afford to buy imported medicine, he prescribed the local medicinal plants.
- August 1893 one of his patients in the month was his own mother. Owing to her failing
eyesight, Doha Teodora traveled to Dapitan with Training, to have eyes operated on by
Rizal
- Rizal cared for the sick of Dapitan without accepting a fee. People began to come to him,
and charged them according to their financial capabilities. One Englishman from wealthy
family had cataracts removed from his eyes, and paid 500.00. This money Rizal used for
lamps for the Dapitan streets.
ROMANCE WITH JOSEPHINE BRACKEN
- Rizal fame as ophthalmologist spread beyond Dapitan and the Philippines.
- One of Rizal’s patient was a blind American engineer named Taufer, who for years had
resided in Hong Kong. He reached Dapitan in February, 1895. With him came her young
adopted daughter Josephine Leopoldine Bracken.
- Josephine and his uncle, Mr. George Tauffer, traveled all the way from Hong Kong, with
a card of introduction from Julio Llorente. Mr. Tauffer wanted to see Rizal at that time as
he was suffering from an eye ailment, which was not cured in the British colony by the
local eye specialists.
- Josephine was eighteen, slender, a chestnut blond, with blue eyes, dressed with elegant
simplicity. Rizal found this fun-loving — girl extremely attractive in his melancholy and
intolerably lonely state of mind. She seemed more in love with the great doctor.
- But when the blind Taufer heard of the proposed marriage he went into a fearful rage and
was prevented from cutting his own throat only when Rizal grabbed and held both his
wrists.
- He and his wife had taken Josephine when her Irish mother died in childbirth, and after
Mrs. Taufer died he had depended upon her help during his blind years.
- The thought of losing the only help he had drove him temporarily insane. To avoid a
tragedy, Josephine went off to Manila with Taufer by the first boat.
RIZAL AS AN EXILE:
As historical accounts would attest, Rizal in Dapitan has become:
- The first to introduce social and environmental ; engineering;
- the first rural doctor;
- the first professional to engage in business;
- the first practitioner of town planning and beautification;
- the first to introduce the principles of livelihood and , self-reliance programs
- the first to show the way to community development;
- the first ophthalmic surgeon sought by patients from foreign land;
- the first to set up a precursor of the modern community school, with himself as the first
community teacher;
- the first systematic collector of Philippines shells, butterflies, reptiles and other fauna and
flora in Mindanao;
- the first in sanitary engineering and public health work;
- and the first Filipino doctor with a social conscience, who charged fees according to
patient's ability to pay.
WHILE IN DAPITAN, RIZAL…
- Demonstrated the real essence of community leadership and political nationalism.
- Within 4 yrs he learned to love Dapitan and its people.
- Dapitan affected his decision to volunteer as a medical surgeon in the Spanish army in
Cuba in 1896
PLEA FOR LIFTING RIZAL'S RUSTICATION ORDER
- On October 25, 1892 Rizal sent Despujol a letter containing his intentions to stay in
Dapitan. Unfortunately, Despujol rejected Rizal's request.
- There was a change in Gov. Gen (Despujol > Blanco)
- On February 13 1894, Rizal reiterated his appeal for the lifting of his deportation order
through a letter. Because of the muslim movement that Blanco was involve with, he did
not reply to the letter
- Blanco promised Rizal to relocate him either at Vigan or La Union, he even suggested for
him to go to Spain owing to his poor health.
ATTEMPTS TO RESCUE RIZAL FROM DAPITAN
- The Grand Regional Council of the Philippine Masonry generated funds for Rizal to go to
Spain. Paez was commissioned by the propagandist to find a suitable vessel in Hong-
Kong or Singapore to rescue Rizal.
- On July 21, 1896, Pio Valenzuela went to Dapitan with a blind man and talked to Rizal
about the revolution. Rizal stressed that pursuing the revolution would tantamount to
national suicide.
- Regidor persuaded Blumentritt to convince Rizal to volunteer as a army doctor for the
Spanish soldiers in Cuba. On December 17 1895, Rizal applied as a volunteer through
Governor Blanco and on July 30 1896, he favorably replied
- On July 31 1896 Rizal boarded Espana and left Dapitan. He had sold his lands and other
things he owned to his friend, mostly natives of Dapitan
- He arrived in Manila on August 6, 1896 boarding Castilla. He stayed for almost a mon,
waiting for an available vessel to Spain.
THE 1896 REVOLUTION BREAKS OUT
- The discovery of Katipunan, as a result of Teodoro Patino's disclosure of the
organization's secrets to Fr. Mariano Gil on August 19, 1896 which resulted in mass
arrests of katipuneros and non katipuneros in Manila.
- On August 30 2891, governor Blanco Issued a gubernatorial decree of declaring a state of
war.
- Rizal received the letter of recommendation from Marcelo Azcaraga (Prime Minister of
Spain, and the colonial minister), which absolved him from the insurrection that was then
raging on.
- On September 3 1896, Rizal boarded the steamer Isla de Panay that will take him to
Barcelona, Spain. The following day, Rizal was informed of the rumors that he was the
cause of the disturbances in Manila
- While on board the Captain of the ship received a telegram to arrest Rizal and detain him
in the captain's cabin
- On October 3, 1896, Rizal reached Barcelona. He was heavily guarded and detained as a
prisoner at the ship. October 6 as 3:00 am, he was informed that he would be taken to
Fort Monjuich.
- Gen. Despujol informed Rizal that he would be shipped back to the Philippines.
Don Pedro Roxas, a fellow passenger advised Rizal to take advantage of the protection of the
British law while in Singapore. Regidor and Lopez transmitted telegram for an English lawyer in
Singapore (Hugh Port) to rescue of Rizal through the Writ of Habeas Corpus. On November 3
1896, Rizal was brought and incarcerated at Fort Santiago.
Preliminaries before the Trial
- The arrival of the steamer Colon in Manila on November 3, 1896 brought too much
jubilation on the part of the friars and the Spaniards.
- On December 8, 1896, Judge advocate General informed Rizal to Choose His Counsel
for His Arraignment on December 11. A roster of military officers was presented to him
- Under heavy guard, Rizal was brought to Fort Santiago pending the prosecution of his
case. Colonel Francisco Olive, summoned Rizal to appear before him on November 20,
1896.
- There were two kinds of evidences presented by the Olive to Rizal during the preliminary
investigation of Rizal: documentary; and testimonial
Jose Taviel de Andrade - Rizal's bodyguard during his six-month stay in Calamba four years
ago.
Luis Taviel de Andrade - Rizal's chosen defender Brother of Jose Taviel de Andrade
December 8, 1896
Peña made the following recommendations to Gov. Blanco.
- That the accused be kept under the custody of law
- That accused be brought to trial
- That an order of attachment be issued against his property
- That the accused be defended in court by an army officer
December 11, 1896
- Rizal had been accused of complex crime of rebellion but he had been pleaded not guilly
to the crime charged against him and did not eve question the jurisdiction of the military
tribunal on his case
December 13, 1896
- Dominguez submitted the transcript of the arraignment proceeding of the Malacañan
Palace.
- General Camilio de Polavieja relieved Governor Blanco.
- Archbishop Nozoleda and the Dominicans felt that Rizal would be absolved with the
accusation against him because Gov. Blanco did not believe that Rizal was a traitor
RIZAL’s LAST DAY
He spent his last 24 hours in his death where :
- He received members of his family.
- he writes letter of farewell to Dr. Blumentritt.
- He gave her sister Trinidad an old petroleum lamp, inside he placed his last poem.
THE EXECUTION OF A HERO
- He woke up at 5:30 am
- Death march begin at 6:30 am
- Upon arriving at Bagumbayan, he bid goodbye to Luis Taviel de Andrade, 2 priest, and to
Josephine
A British writer, Howard W. Bray an eye witness commented:
"Never while life last, shall | forget that awful morning nor the whirling sensation I felt when the
rifles cracked and his mangled body fell on the public promenade amid the jeers of Spaniards
and monks, thus consummating one of the most cold blooded crimes registered in history since
the tragedy of Golgotha".
A few minutes before seven in the morning of December 30, Jose Rizal walked from Fort
Santiago to Bagumbayan. His arms were tied behind his back, his head was erect, his conscience
was clear, and there was a smile on his lips. Beside him was Lieutenant Luis Andrade, who had
defended him in the trial, Fathers Villaclara and March. Before and behind him were soldiers.
Rizal was ready and calm, took his position opposite his executioners. His last words were those
of Jesus Christ: consummatum est (it Is finished).
Then roll of drums and volley of artillery accompany the firing of the soldiers. And even at the
moment of his fall, Rizal turns his body so that he ends up lying on his back, with his face to the
sun.
The elegant Spanish ladies waved their handkerchiefs, the gentlemen applaud. And while the
Filipinos see the execution in enraged silence, calls of “Viva España” resound thunderously.
Rizal was secretly buried in Paco Cemetery with no identification on his grave
His sister Narcisa toured all possible gravesites and found freshly turned earth at the cemetery
Assuming this could be the most likely spot, there never having any ground burials, she made a
gift to the caretaker to mark the site “RPJ”, Rizal's initials in reverse
GOOD READING ARTICLE
- Today in Philippine History, April 22, 1822, the Paco Cemetery, the burial place of Dr.
Jose Rizal, was completed
SUMMARY
- Rizal arrived at Dapitan on July 17, 1892, on board the steamer Cebu. The place was
swampy with unplanned streets, at the time Rizal set foot in Dapitan
- He met Captain Ricardo Carnicero who offered him to live either in his house or at Jesuit
Mission House
- Rizal builds his home at Talisay, served as physician, teacher and community leader
- He met Josephine Bracken
- The Grand Regional Council of the Philippine Masonry generated funds for Rizal to go to
Spain
- The 1896 Revolution breaks out while Rizal was on his way to Cuba to volunteer as
doctor
- He was shipped back to the Philippines where he faced trial and execution
ANTONIO MORGA SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS
RIZAL AND PARIS EXPOSITION 1889
When Rizal arrived in Paris it was extremely difficult for a visitor to find a living quarter. It is
because of the approaching Universal Exposition of 1889 which attracted thousands of tourists
so all hotel accommodations were taken.
The cost of living spiraled high because the French landlords took advantage of the event.
#45 Rue Maubeuge, where Rizal stayed for a while. In his house, Rizal polished his annotated
edition of Morga's book.
He used most of his time in the reading room of the National Library checking up his historical
annotations of Morga’s book.
After completing his annotation of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, Rizal moved
to Paris. This was in time the holding of the Universal Exposition in the city On May 6, 1889.
Despite the numerous social parties he had to attend to, he sustained his literary and patriotic
pursuits
In 1890, the annotated edition of Antonio Morga's Sucesos, printed by Garnes Feres, came out.
There were two (2) major errors in the book which was corrected:
- In the appraisal of the events of the past in the light of present standards.
- His inferences on the Church which were unfair since the faults and the cruelty of the
friars did not mean the cruelty of the church.
Rizal wrote and proved that:
- Filipinos had already a certain degree of civilization.
- They wore clothes, formed government, laws , Writing , literature, religion, arts , sciences
and commerce with neighbouring countries.
RIZAL AND PARIS EXPOSITION OF 1889
- The Paris Exposition was opened on May 6, 1889
- Jose Rizal, Felix R. Hidalgo, Juan Luna and Felix Pardo de Tavera participated in the
international art competition.
- Rizal's entry was a bust, but did not win
- Luna, Hidalgo and Pardo de Tavera’s entries copped major awards
Rizal organized the following:
International Association of Filipinologists.
- Proposed President: Ferdinand Blumentritt
- Proposed Secretary: Jose Rizal
- It did not materialize and the organization remained an association of best friends.
Kidlat Club
- Purely a social society of a temporary nature.
- Founded by Jose Rizal simply to bring together the young Filipinos.
- Kidlat means lightning.
- Members:
- Antonio and Juan Luna
- Fernando Canon
- Gregorio Aguilera
- Lauro Dimayuga
- Julio Llorente
- Guillermo Pineda
- Baldomero Roxas
INDIOS BRAVOS
- Brave Soldiers
- Replaced Kidlat Club
- Its members pledged to excel in intellectual and physical prowess in order to win the
admiration of the foreigners particularly the Spaniards.
- Rizal taught them Judo — an Asian art that he learned while he was in Japan.
RDLM Society
- Redención de los Malayas ( Redemption of the Malays)
- Rizal rigidly guarded its secret existence Patterned from Masonry
- Aim to propagate all useful knowledge (scientific, artistic, literary) in the Philippines
SUMMARY:
- Rizal collected and synthesized historical materials about the Philippines.
- He took an active part in universal exposition and conceived different social
organizations
