Dakak « Kapeathopia

Jose Rizal’s beach resort punishment

I finally got to visit Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte.

A beach in Dapitan

Aside from the lechon and sea foods that I keep hearing about, I was particularly interested to see the area where Jose Rizal was exiled.

A town called Dapitan (now a clean and organized city) is about 45 minutes drive from Dipolog. Over a hundred years ago, this town was a far-flung locality that was almost unaware of the goings-on in Manila. Though the town was devoutly Catholic and subservient to Spanish rule, it coexisted peacefully with the Islamic population of Mindanao.

The Spanish authorities probably thought (or hoped) that Rizal would be beheaded by the Moros because of his inquisitive and lakwatsero (wanderer) nature. Had it happened, we would’ve had someone else’s name or image on millions of streets and monuments in and around the archipelago.

Prime Beach Property
Approaching Rizal’s place of exile is a tree-lined coastal road lined by heavily forested mountains to the east. The coastal drive was constructed around a large cove that had a wide beach and light-gray sand bright enough to allow the crew of Baywatch to film and for Pamela Anderson to bounce on. The water had a gentle surf and looked really inviting.

After a mild ascent from the road, we reached a private entrance to a gated compound. It looked like a beach-front estate owned by a tycoon. I got off the van and saw manicured grounds with tall fruit-bearing trees and a smattering of large cabanas strategically built in various areas of the vast estate.

I ask in awe, “Dito siya in-exile?!” The security guard slash tour guide gave me an amused smile and said “opo, dito nga po.” Though not a Rizalista, the tour guide knew Rizal as if he was an uncle. He’d probably call him “lolo” if lolo Pepe were still alive.

The compound had a main big house with an improvised swimming pool that collected mineral water from the surrounding mountains. The estate had plumbing which was designed by Rizal himself. He had 2 operating theater huts for ophthalmic surgeries (male and female), several separate large cabanas for his students, a promenade that led to an amphitheater that he designed and built, a viewing deck overlooking the sunset, vast grounds to collect flora, fauna and insects (there’s an insect named after him), beautiful gardens to receive and entertain guests.

Rizalistas. Fans club ni Pepe…

His plight was made worse when he found himself a gorgeous girlfriend (of Irish-German descent) that bore him a child (that died after 8 months, so the story goes). He befriended his stern Spanish guard/warden (he was still under arrest in exile). In effect, he had more liberty to walk around, listen to small-town gossip and establish a school for boys. His life became increasingly “difficult” when he became more fluent in the Visayan (dugay na sa Mindanao, maayo man gid!) dialect, and made arrangements for his mother and sisters to visit him and take better care of him. His “worst luck” came when he won thousands (the equivalent of close to a million in those days) in the local lottery. Oh well…

He ought to conduct a motivational seminar called “Looking At the Bright Side 101″.

The doctor’s view from the clinic: Chick magnet!

The beauty of Zamboanga del Norte is almost like a reward for the “filibustero” that was Rizal. It was as if he even had friends in high places that arranged for him to be exiled in a beach resort very near to what we now know as Dakak Beach Club.

That man Pepe Rizal… what a guy!

Pepe’s beachfront view