Rizal 's famous travels

Rizal sold many copies of books, and also sent some to both friends and enemies. "This is the first impartial and daring book", he wrote to Dr. Fernand Blumentrit of Bohemia, "on the life of the Tagalogs. Filipinos will find in it their history during the fast decades. I hope you will notice how different my descriptions are from those of other writers of our time.

In a short time, Rizal became famous. However, the publications of Noli Mangered the Spanish authorities. The university of Sto. Tomas, upon prodding of Father Salvador Font, banned Rizal's novel. One of Rizal's close friends, Dr. Felipe Zamora advised him to assume another citizenship. Paciano, his elder brother was outraged and wrote to him in anger: "You decide on your departure; now let me decide the time of your return.

Inspite of the warnings of his brother and close friends, Rizal left the EUROPE and returned to the Philippines. After staying in the country for a year, Rizal packed his personal belongings, and again left for Europe by way of NORTH AMERICA.

Rizal proved to be a success in EUROPE . In 1886,he followed his early literary success by publishing in Ghent, BELGIUM, EL Filibusterismo, a sequel to the Noli. He dedicated it to the martyrs of Bagumbayan: Fathers Burgos, Gomez and Zamora. The hero got as far as ENGLAND to gather important historical materials. It was there when he discovered the invaluable work of Don Antonio de Morga, an early SPANISH historian. Rizal rush to a printer shop in PARIS, and ordered the printing of the historical records there. In 1890, Morga's Sucesos de las islas FILIPINAS came out. In 1892, Rizal decided to return to the Philippines for the second time despite the fact that he had many influential and powerful enemies thjere. Rizal was accompanied by his sister Saturnina when he left for HONKONG to ask permission from Governor Eulogio Despujol for the peaceful resettlement of his family and relatives. What Rizal got was banishment to Dapitan in Mindanao where he live for four years. He made good use of his stay in the far-flung island by teaching young boys, improving the lot of the people through numerous projects, and continuing his medical practice. He also met and married Josephine Brachen, and Irish-Chinese in Dapitan.

Governor-General Blanco agreed, on July 1, 1896, to let him leave the country on a medical mission to Cuba. He was, however, arrested in SPAIN before he even got to Cuba, and was shortly transferred to another ship bound to MANILA where charges of sedition and treason were already prepared by his enemies.

In a mock trial, Rizal was soon found guilty of high crime; treason and rebellion. Governor-General Camilo Polavieja, who succeeded Governor-General Blanco, at once decreed the execution of Rizal on DEC. 30, 1896. The night before his death, the hero wrote ''Mi Ultimo Adios'' in his cell of fort Santiago. The poem remains to be one of the greatest poems of our time.

In Bagumbayan, DR. Jose P. Rizal shed his blood, his supreme sacrifice in testimony of the profoundness and dept of his love for his suffering country and people.