On This Day - July 7, 1892 - The Katipunan was founded when Dr. Jose Rizal was deported to Dapitan

 

On This Day - July 7, 1892, the deportation of Dr. Jose Rizal to Dapitan was made public; the Katipunan was founded

On July 7, 1892, Governor-General Eulogio Despujol made public the order of the deportation of Dr. Jose Rizal to Dapitan, through a decree published in the Gaceta, to the remote town in Zamboanga.

Rizal lived in exile in far-away Dapitan from 1892 to 1896. Under the missionary jurisdiction of the Jesuits, he practiced medicine, pursued scientific studies, continued his artistic and literary works, widened his knowledge of languages, established a school for boys, promoted community development projects, invented a wooden machine for making bricks, and engaged in farming and commerce.

Meanwhile, on this day, in Tondo, Manila, a group of Filipino patriots, led by Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, and Deodato Arellano, among others, formally founded the Katipunan (Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mgá Anak ng Bayan), an anti-Spanish society with the goal of gaining Philippine independence.

The Katipunan, initially a secret organzation, had three principal aims: political, moral and civic. The political aim was to fight for the independence of the Philippines from Spain. The moral aim was to teach Filipinos right conduct, cleanliness, and to fight against blind obedience to religion and to overcome weakness of character. The civic aim was to help one's self and to defend the poor and the oppressed.

During the next four years, the organization recruited members from various parts of Manila and nearby provinces. Its discovery in August 1896 eventually led to the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution.

Reference:
Andres Bonifacio by Epifanio delos Santos, The Philippine Review, January/February 1918, Volume 1, Number 1/2
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