Allala

Practical Nationalism In Dapitan

* Rizal was exiled to Dapitan after his summons to Malacañang Palace. In the four years that he stayed in Dapitan, he demonstrated practical nationalism and inspired his fellow Filipinos living there to do the same.

* When exiled to Dapitan, Rizal was in the prime of life and was already a famous man.

Rizal Boards with the Commandant

* In Dapitan, he was given two choices of residency: with the Parish priest in the Jesuit Mission House or with the politico-military commander of the district in the Casa Real. Fr. Antonio Obach, S.J., the parish priest, imposed certain conditions: “make a public retraction of his religious errors, issue statements that were unmistakably pro-Spanish, undergo the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, and make a general confession.

Independent Life in Talisay

As a deportee, Rizal was determined to achieve financial independence and to earn his keep. Less than two months after his arrival, he was permitted to cultivate the land near the plaza that extended until the beach. He planted a large number of fruit trees on such land.

In the following month, Rizal won P6,200.00 in the lottery, which he joined together with Captain Carnicero. He sent a third of this amount to his mother, and with the remaining amount, he bought 16 hectares of land.

A Typical Day for Rizal in Dapitan

Letter to Blumentritt, December 19, 1893

“I get up early, at five o’ clock, inspect my fields, feed the chickens, and wake up my workers and get them to work. At half past seven, we breakfast on tea, pastries, cheese, sweets, etc., then I examine and treat my poor patients who come to see me, after which I dress up and go to town in my baroto to visit my patients there. I return at noon and have my boys until four o’clock and spend the rest of the afternoon in the fields. At night, I read and study.”

Rizal’s Activities in Dapitan

As a Physician

He practiced his profession in the town, without...