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Rizals Settlement Project in Sabah
Rizals Settlement Project in Sabahby Quennie Ann J. Palafox
The colonization project of Rizal in Sabah was a response to the
Calambas land crisis which all started when Governor-
General Terrero released a directive for the investigation of
the friar estates to resolve the agrarian problems on thecollection
of land taxes and tenancy. Rizal was requested by the tenants of
Calamba to conduct an investigation onhacienda owned by the
Dominicans in Calamba and he submitted it to the Governor-General
for appropriate actions. Hefound out that the hacienda of the
Dominican Order comprised not only the lands around Calamba, but
the whole town ofCalamba.
Rizals exposure of the miserable plight of the tenants drew
resentment from the friars. To make things worse, theSupreme Court
of Madrid sided with the Dominicans and gave its recognition of the
proprietorship of the lands inCalamba. It was mandated that tenants
of Calamba be expelled if they fail to leave the hacienda before
the date set bythe law. Rizals family dispossessed from the
Dominican-owned hacienda in Calamba in the absence of Rizal.
Governor-General Weyler, who took the place of Governor-General
Terrero, was sympathetic to the friars and so he deployed
50soldiers from the peninsular regiment of artillery to drive out
the poor tenants and the soldiers showed no mercy whenthey burned
the houses as the tenants exceeded to the given 12 days to evacuate
their belongings.
On his trip to Hong Kong, Rizal by chance met an Englishman Mr.
W.B. Pryor and his wife, who were on their way toSabah (North
Borneo) to whom Rizal had shared his idea of a Filipino settlement
in Sabah. The owner of the territory, theSultan of Jolo, had it
leased to the North Borneo Company in 1878 and was duly recognized
by Spain, Germany andEngland with the condition that Spanish
sovereignty over the island of Jolo will be honored. What was in
the mind ofRizal that he desired to establish Filipino community in
Sabah? He said in his letter to Blumentritt on February 23, 1892:if
it is impossible for me to give my country liberty. I should like
to give it at least to these noble countrymen of mine inother
lands. Based on this statement, we can conclude that Rizal was
apparently considering of relocating his family inSabah where he
can organize a Filipino community who would devote themselves in
agriculture, he serving as theleader. He observed in Hong Kong that
Englishmen governed their colony well far from the persecutions
suffered by thenatives of Philippines from the Spaniards.
Jaena, Luna, Bautista, Blumentritt and his other friends in
Europe were delighted upon hearing the plan and expressed
their support to the noble venture. While the project was
commendable for most of his friends, Manuel Hidalgo,
Rizalsbrother-in-law was not in favor. By January of 1892, Rizal
had already prepared the agreement which was to govern
thesettlement of the Filipino colony in its relations with Sabah.
The North Borneo Company offered permanent settlement forthe
emigrants and the sale or lease of lands for 999 years. None of the
settlers would render free labor or be forced toserve in the
military except the territorys sovereignty is in threat. They would
rule themselves with their own laws underthe safeguard of the
Company. In March, Rizal received a favorable sign when Mr. Pryor
saw that Sabah neededmanpower, and so he invited Rizal to come over
to Sandakan. The company offered to undertake construction
ofbuildings and planting of orchards, all payable in three years.
Rizal in the absence of the governor of the island
enterednegotiations with the acting Secretary of the Government,
Mister Cook, who also had to specify in writing the conditionsof
the settlement. He was received by the Governor on April 6, 1892,
and on the following day he left for Hong Kong onboard the
Memnon.
On his arrival in Hong Kong, Rizal obtained directly from
Spanish Consul Governor-General Eulogio Despujols positionover the
issue of Sabah settlement. Despujol refused to answer the letter
sent by Rizal asking his permission to allow thelandless Filipinos
to establish a colony in Sabah. Despujol had probably played safe
by not entering into an agreementinvolving him, nor to give
publicity to the aspirations of the would-be-settlers as well as
their intention to renounce theirnationality. The consul whom
Despujol coursed his reply, informed that the Governor-General had
received his letter buthe considered the Sabah project
anti-patriotic as the Philippines was short of labor to cultivate
its lands, and that he didnot favor the establishment of Filipino
community in Sabah.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
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