BORNEO COLONIZATION PROJECT  New trends of events in the

Philippines gave Rizal a new hope

 Governor Valeriano Weyler-
for realizing his Borneo project.
Calamba is under his terroristic
 Governor Weyler or “The
regime
Butcher” was relieved of his
 Rizal conceived the establishment
gubernatorial office
of a Filipino colony in North Borneo
 new governor general
(Sabah).
Eulogio Despujol, the Count
 He planned to move the landless
of Caspe, announced to the
Filipino families to that British-
Filipinos a fine program of
owned island and create a “New
government
Calamba”
 December 23, 1891- in the belief
 March 7, 1892- Rizal went to
that the governor was sincere in his
Sandakan on board the ship
beautiful promises of a better
Menon to negotiate with the British
government, Rizal sent him a letter
authorities for the establishment of
of felicitation and offering his
a Filipino colony.
cooperation.
 British North Borneo Company-
 The governor did not even
offered the land up the Bengkoka
acknowledge receipt of his letter.
River in Maradu Bay
 March 21, 1892- after waiting for 3
 The Borneo British authorities were
months for a reply, he wrote a
willing to give the Filipino colonists
second letter and gave it to a ship
 100,000 acres of land
FREE OF ALL captain to be sure it would reach
CHARGES  a beautiful harbor
Governor Despujol’s hand.
 a good government for 999
 He requested the governor general
years
to permit the landless Filipinos to
 Rizal went back to Hong Kong in
establish themselves in Borneo.
April 20.
 However, Despujol did not give
 Juan Luna, Antonio Luna,
Rizal the “courtesy of a reply”.
Graciano Lopez Jaena,
 Instead, he notified the Spanish
Blumentritt, Dr. Bautista Lin, etc.
consul general in Hong Kong to tell
enthusiastically endorsed his
Rizal that he could not approve the
Borneo colonization project.
Filipino immigration to Borneo,
 May 26, 1892- Lopez Jaena wrote
alleging that “the Philippines lacked
to Rizal expressing his desire to
laborers” and “it was not very
join the colony
patriotic to go off and cultivate
 Hidalgo- Rizal’s brother-in-law,
foreign soil”
objected to the colonization project