Dr. Rizal: Dapiteño-by-choice

WHEN the name Dapitan City is mentioned, inevitably the name of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal will be mentioned.

Conversely, every time the story of Dr. Rizal’s life is discussed, inevitably the name Dapitan City and his years of “exile” in that corner of Mindanao would crop up.

More than a year ago, I wrote my thoughts on how Dr. Rizal handled that particular chapter in his life. I said that his years in Dapitan City were a test of his emotional and spiritual toughness.

My view was that being exiled for years must have been an even more difficult time than waiting for a few hours before one faced certain death.

This is because the state of physical exile has been a proven way of inflicting mental and emotional punishment – something harder to bear than physical punishment. My cousin, who is a lawyer, explained that this was used by early civilizations as a punitive measure for serious crimes. For example, ancient Greece exiled criminals convicted of homicide.

Ancient Rome imposed it as a replacement for the death penalty. Perhaps, the rules of Rome had then determined that to take a person away from what he considers home and banish him to a far-away, unfamiliar place was no different from beheading or hanging that person to die.

So, when authorities sent Dr. Rizal to exile in Dapitan in 1892, they may have thought that they had already “killed” him.

In many ways, a person in exile really suffers “death,” in a figurative way of speaking.

When one is taken away from his home and loved ones against his will and sent to an unfamiliar place hun- dreds of miles away, he loses much of life. That experience of exile must have been no different from what is felt by a prisoner thrown into solitary confinement.

Dr. Rizal, however, appeared to have more options than what an ordinary human being would think he has.

True, he must have gone through the same processes as anyone human would. In exile, he must have wept during those painful moments of cruel loneliness and sense of isolation. He must have gone through the same ordeal of self-pity, self-blame, the litany of regrets, and recalling the must-havebeen’s and the could-have-been’s of life. He may have wished he had chosen a different path, a different life.

But then, my view is that Dr. Rizal is not the kind who would entertain a mental script of a “victim.” In Dapitan, he seized control of his situation and transformed his “exile” into some of his most productive, remarkable years.

His strategy was simple: instead of thinking, living, and behaving like a prisoner-in-exile, he exercised his power of choice. He chose to be a Dapiteño. He became a Dapiteño by choice.

As a Dapiteño-by-choice, Dr. Rizal brought our many sterling aspects of his person and genius.

It was during the exile years that he helped many he cured of blindness and other eye diseases. He set up a school, raised leaders, and trained athletes. He engaged in lively, intellectual debates on faith and politics.

He created sculptural masterpieces. He built a water system, remodeled Dapitan’s town plaza, and battled malaria. He wrote a poem and composed a song while engaging in biological research. He studied languages and fell madly in love with a woman.

Lesser mortals would have spent those four years wallowing in anger and self-pity. Dr. Rizal chose to make an exceptionally productive use of his time.

In Tagalog, Dr. Rizal would be dubbed a “dayo.” One who came to a place, decided to settle, and called it home.

Of course, he was an exceptional “dayo.” When he chose to make Dapitan City home, he added value to that community. He played a role in its physical and social transformation. He was a change agent. He was a game changer.

Antipolo City has the same experience with many of the people and establishments who chose to make the place their home. Our city has many of its own exceptional “dayo.” They came and made the city their home, bringing with them talents, vision, energies, and opportunities.

Among them are some of the country’s biggest business conglomerates. Already, the well- known and highly respected Ayala, SM, Crown Asia, and similar other institutions are present in Antipolo. Their projects have enriched the landscape of the city.

The latest addition to the list is Robinsons Place, a development by Robinson Land Corporation of the Gokongwei group. Antipoleños witnessed the opening of this mall yesterday. It is located just a few minute away from where the Antipolo Cathedral stands.

Robinsons Place is now an Antipoleño-by-choice.

Its presence, like that of the projects of the other major business conglomerates, are a testament to the faith of investors in the present and in the future of the city.

They have found their place in this Pilgrimage Capital of the country.

*For feedback, please email it to antipolocitygov@gmail.com or send it to # 4 Horse Shoe Drive, Beverly Hills Subdivision, Bgy. Beverly Hills, Antipolo City, Rizal.