Rizal planned a Filipino colony on Sabah

More than 100 years before the family of the Sultanate of Sulu revived its territorial claim on Sabah, Jose Rizal set his sights on building a colony of Filipinos there—even as he actively clamored for the Philippines' independence from Spain.

An idea sparks

Rizal thought of forming a Filipino settlement in Sabah when he encountered Englishman W.B. Pryor and his wife in Hong Kong in 1892. At that time, the island was already on lease from the Sultan of Jolo  to the British North Borneo Company (BNBC).

On March 7, 1892, Rizal boarded a ship to Sandakan, Sabah, to talk to British authorities about the possibility of setting up a Filipino colony there.

In an interview with Howie Severino on News to Go Tuesday, Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist and senior editor John Nery said Rizal had thought of relocating Filipinos, including his family, to the island due to Spanish authorities having taken away large swaths of native land in Calamba, Laguna to give to Dominican friars.  



“Sometime in early 1892, bumisita nga si Rizal doon kasi ang idea niya kunin ang lahat ng kakilala niya na yung farm slots ay kinuha ng Kastila [para] magsimula [sila] muli," Nery said. "May iba siyang kasama katulad ni Antonio Luna na medyo impulsive, ang tingin nila sa idea ni Rizal ay maganda dahil magiging military base yan for a revolution."

An alternative to liberty

National Historical Commission of the Philippines historian Quennie Ann Palafox said in her analysis of Rizal's trip to Sabah that he probably thought of himself as the leader of the new Filipino community whose members would devote themselves to agriculture.

In one of Rizal's letters to close friend Ferdinand Blumentritt, he said: “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 in other lands.”

A potentially friendly agreement

The BNBC was open to the idea of a Filipino settlement in Borneo. Palafox noted that the company “offered permanent settlement for the emigrants and the sale or lease of lands for 999 years.”

Aside from this, the BNBC did not require the settlers to render free labor or serve in the military except if the island was under threat. The potential Filipino community living in Sabah was also free to craft its own laws under the safeguard of the Company.

An idea fizzles

Despite getting the British authorities to agree to his proposal, Rizal's plan to bring over 5,000 landless Filipino families to Sabah fell through when Spanish Governor General Eulogio Despujol turned down his request.

In his letter, Despujol said that he saw the Filipino migration to Sabah as “unpatriotic” and reasoned that they should stay in the Philippines because the country “lacked laborers” and there were many vacant lands needing cultivation.

Motives in shadow but dedication true

Although there are various speculations about Rizal's true motives for setting up a Filipino colony in Sabah, Nery—author of "Revolutionary Spirit: Jose Rizal in Southeast Asia"—said that Rizal believed the revolution would be fought in the Philippines.

“Ang plano niya talaga, kailangan niyang bumalik sa Pilipinas. In October 1891, sumulat siya ng isang sulat. Ang sabi niya doon, 'Ang paglalaban sa Pilipinas. Doon dapat tayo magtagpo.'” said Nery.

There is no telling what would have happened had Rizal's plan to put up a Filipino territory in Sabah pushed through, but one thing is certain: wherever he lived—whether in Europe or Asia, the National Hero truly dedicated his life to helping his countrymen achieve freedom. — Xianne Arcangel/VC, GMA News