There is only one source – a primary source – that is available apropos of Rizal’s short stay in Dumaguete, and it is from Rizal himself – found in his diary account from 31 July to 6 October 1896, which he called as 64 Days without Touching Land.
The main reason why Rizal passed by Dumaguete was because of his desire to visit Cuba, and serve as a military physician for the Spaniards there, as there was an ongoing revolution at that time in that Spanish Colony.
By then, Rizal had already given up the idea of going to Cuba as he was told by the district governor that his application was denied in April 1896. As a result, Rizal then busied himself with many projects to improve his situation.
In his own words, he said: “I began devoting myself to the cultivation of my land, planting maize and palay. I was building a boat which I intended to engage in inter-island shipping, with a capacity for 300 cavanes of rice, more or less. I changed the floor of my house with good wood; and I have begun the construction of a hospital or sanitarium to house the sick who came from different islands of the Archipelago, and were invading even my own house.”
Consequently, when he received the letter that of approval, it seemed to have, to use Rizal’s words, a “sweet-sour effect – like a desired dish which was offered after the dessert”. In the letter, he was told by the Governor General that he would be given a pass to Manila, and from there he would be allowed to go to Spain where the Minister of War will designate the corps which he should join as physician in the Military Corps of Health.
Rizal’s sister, Narcisa, and his partner, Josephine, were both elated to hear the news. But his servants were quite sad, and expressed their desire to follow him to Cuba. It was on the 31st of July, a Friday, that he left Dapitan on board España.
By dawn of Aug. 1st the next day, Rizal arrived in Dumaguete. He then instructed his family to go around the town while he and Dapitan’s Politico-Military commander (CPM), Capt. Ricardo Carnicero, paid their respects to Negros Oriental Governor Regal.
Rizal then visited his friend and classmate, Herrero Regidor, that time Judge of the Province. He then went on to visit local families, like the Rufinas (where he listened to someone playing the piano for him), and the Periquets. In the afternoon, he operated on the eyes of the Captain of the Guardia Civil.
In his observations while in Dumaguete, Rizal noted that the families he was with were so affable and accommodating to him. He also noted that “the people of Dumaguete are fond of decorating their houses with plants and flowers.” Later that night, he along with his family and the CPM departed for Cebu.
What lesson, therefore, can be gleaned from all this? History, as one historian puts it, is a continuous dialogue between the past and the present. To give meaning to history, the historian must also be able to interpret the facts.
Though his visit to Dumaguete was short, and though it might seem trivial, Rizal’s visit to this City seemed to point out the bigger motive — that he was heading to Cuba to observe the Cuban Revolution, and perhaps draw inspiration from it for the Philippines’ future. Like his decision to travel to Spain, his trip to Cuba was driven by a certain mission to help his fellow Filipinos.
This goes to show that Rizal – even with his blatant rejection of the revolution in his December Manifesto – still had hopes for an independent Philippines, but before attaining it, in his mind, we still have to go through a process of education, and improve ourselves so that we will not become what he feared: become the tyrants of tomorrow.
Sadly, this fear of Rizal has become a reality in the country. Though we are not under the purview of any foreign colonizers at present, it seems like Filipinos have become tyrants to their fellow Filipinos. Abuse of power, deeply-entrenched corruption, injustices against the poor and helpless, and cult-like fanatics have become a common occurrence in our society.
I hope we celebrate June 19 not just as the day when Rizal was born 164 years ago, but as a reminder to make his memory relevant and useful to the present. There is no point if all we do is venerate Rizal’s life without genuinely learning from, if not embodying, his ideas and works.
We should not put Rizal’s efforts in vain. We must continue to fight for what he advocated for [education, justice, valuing human dignity] and fought against [abuse of power, corruption, injustices] during his time.
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Author’s email: JJAbulado@norsu.edu.ph
