The “Shrine City”
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Dapitan Considering the number of landmarks commemorating the hero, the “Shrine City” of Dapitan may very well be eponymously named after him. Implicated in a brewing rebellion, Rizal was banished to this faraway town in western Mindanao where he lived from 1892 to 1896.  Respite in Dapitan, by the spreading beach where sands are soft and fine. At the foot of the mount in its mantle of green I have built my hut in the pleasant grove’s confine; from the forest seeking peace and a calmness divine.  He developed a system of waterworks for the town. He had nearby marshes drained to control malaria. And he discovered three new species: Draco rizali (a flying lizard), Rhacophorus rizali (a small frog), and Apogonia rizali (a small beetle). But there are more legacies: the town plaza brightened by hibiscus, santan and acacia and armed with coconut oil powered street lamps is his handiwork. The 900m2 Relief Map of Mindanao in front of the St James Church (established 1871) is his as well. Today, Rizal’s farm in Talisay is a Rizal Shrine, worthy of a visit. Brgy Talisay, Dapitan City (open Tuesday–Sunday, 8am–5pm). Cebu Pacific flies to Dipolog daily from Manila and Cebu. Dapitan is 20 minutes away by bus. www.cebupacificair.com |
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