The Hero In Rizal

The Philippines is a country with many heroes.  The fighting spirit of Filipinos never ceases to amaze people of different races.  The true Malayan blood in us must have given us such a strong influence.

One great hero that has a great influence to Filipino people then as it continues now is our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.  Dubbed as the greatest hero of the Malayan race, Rizal wasn’t chosen unanimously for the title of a national hero.  It was given to him after a thorough process and debates by which he was finally chosen because of the manner by which he died.

We can say that Rizal is really the pioneer of so called People Power.  When the Filipino people victoriously launched People Power Revolution in 1986-- an event that awed and inspired the world—it was the spirit and influence of Dr. Jose Rizal that hovered over them.  His being the Philippines first and foremost advocate of peaceful, nonviolent revolution which was the essence of People Power, inspired the Filipino nation to follow similar path of a peaceful revolution.

Rizal is an enigma in itself, his life a paradox of all.  For while he was a fervent advocate of peaceful reform, his writings reveals a revolutionary streak by which led to his conviction of rebellion by the Spanish authorities and his eventual martyrdom at Bagumbayan.

His two highly influential novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, acknowledged as our bibles of nationalism remain unmatched up to this day.  In these novels, he speaks eloquently about freedom and how to attain it.  In particular, in the final chapter of his Fili novel he called for us Filipinos to secure our independence by making ourselves worthy of it, by exalting the intelligence and dignity of the individual, by loving justice, right and greatness even to the extent dying for it, and when people reaches that height, God will provide a weapon, the idols will be shattered, tyranny will crumble like a house of cards, and liberty will shine like the first dawn.

He was so genius in his attempt to wake the Filipino spirit using his greatest weapon—his pen.  True to his words, the pen is mightier than the sword and he used it to his advantage to advance his cause. With the eloquence of his pen and the quite and compelling power and strength of his idealism, this man Rizal devotedly worked for his country’s freedom.   He did not resort to rebellion.  In fact, it becomes  one of history’s most perplexing contradictions that he did not become part of the Katipunan rebellion of which he vehemently opposed because of its prematurity if not absurdity.  Rizal is against any form of bloody violence whatsoever.  He wanted his country to attain a new social order specifically through peaceful reform and not through bloody revolution.

What a true nationalist and patriot this man Rizal was.  More than that, he is likewise a very profound thinker too.  In his desire and anticipation for the Philippines to become a free country eventually, he prepared the people to their political transformation towards independence such that none of the social ills and corruption they abhorred during that time be carried over.  Unfortunately, in the process of preparing all these and gaining all these things he had hoped for his beloved country, he was directly misunderstood, incarcerated and executed.

Rizal’s putting much value to education made him an example par excellence to the youth that comes after him.  He emphasized the importance of education of his people as a basic requirement to freedom by which he said it is through knowledge and hard work that people may become worthy of liberty.  He particularly recommended education and civic virtues in his writings citing that without these two, one cannot attain true redemption.

Dr. Jose Rizal inspired Filipinos during his time and certainly the many generations after it which includes you and me.  His teachings will continue to inspire and empower his countrymen in the day to day arduous task of nation-building, particularly in the journey towards true political, economic and social progress. 

That to me is Dr. Jose Rizal, born 150 years ago.  National Hero, Educator, Linguist, Doctor, Writer, Son, Brother and many more.  For all his achievements as a person of many talents, he chose a path less travelled.  And in the pursuit of that particular path, it led to his martyrdom.

Dr. Jose P. Rizal in the Contemporary Lives of Filipinos

Well, many people nowadays write different essays about our national hero Dr. Jose P.Rizal.  And, as I go over with those writings, there are certain things that always catch my attention; and those are the things that remind me of him as our national hero as well as the virtual contemporary hero for our new generation.     And, now that I am already a writer, I could say that Rizal was one of the pillars why many Filipinos now are more genuinely artistic and have those world class skills and talents that even surpass other foreign artists in the globe. He was one of the persons in my past that attributed to my skills in writing.    He was also one of the persons in my life who taught me to live gracefully with all the sacrifices and trials just for the sake of the people I love.  In the same manner, Rizal also taught me to become patriotic and at the same time be proud of my own land; as well as to my own Filipino culture.   More than anything else, our history is very rich of important facts and relevant stories that we can share to our children as well as to the whole world.  Remember, Rizal did not sacrifice himself just for nothing; I know that he did that noble deed because he wanted to make change in the lives of our many Filipino ancestors; and foremost to make great impact to the millions of lives in the contemporary society. 

Personally, I am  proud of him, and somewhat grateful at the same time, because I know that  with his living legacy, artworks, written novels,  poems and  his many literary works he  still able to touch  my soul and spirit  as well as the souls and spirits of  millions of Filipinos out there about his undying love for our people and  for the  country.  More than that, the memories of Rizal   always intervene with how Filipino today  act, think, and decide for themselves.  The undying spirit of Rizal always reminds us that we should become proud of our legacy as a Filipino.   Because that legacy has kept us free from the extreme abuse from successive colorizations in our homeland.  On the other hand, I know that Rizal wherever he may be now, is proud of the new Filipino generation, because of the growth and  the development that have been brought to our Philippine history by these  new Filipino heroes .  Their deeds elevate more the true spirit of all of us being a Filipino. In relation to that, there are many new Rizal’s in our society now who sacrifice their own self for the love of our country.  There are many Philippines’ soldiers’ who died while in combat with the enemies.  In the same manner, there are many Rizal’s in the lives of our OFWs who really take the sacrifices just to earn bread and butter in the foreign land for the love of their families.  In the same fashion, there are many  school teachers and  even mobile educators now, who really devote themselves in teaching just to help  in cultivating the minds of the young children; that even in the far away provinces they bring those children closer to wisdom.   Without these determined mobile educators, the noble mission of education is very impossible.  .  Aside from that, there are many new Rizal’s today in the lives of our many Filipino exceptional artists who showcase our own unique and genuine talent as a Filipino all throughout the world.  Upon seeing all these Filipino sacrifices, achievements and recognition, I am sure that Dr. Jose P. Rizal would have been   even proud of the new Filipino generation today. 

However, all these growth and developments are only added to Rizal’s greatest contributions to our Philippine culture and history.  And, his legacy still lives on in the hearts and minds of all Filipino people at present time.  This is the primary reason, that until this time and age, we still commemorate every occasions that is related to our national hero.      Nevertheless, as time goes by, we see a lot of new living Rizal’s in our society; it is very obvious that these people are doing noble deeds for the Filipino society because they want for significant changes and improvements in the well being of the Filipinos.  Though, our sacrifices and accomplishments are not comparable as what Rizal did before.  But, I am certain… that at present time, there are still many Filipinos who inherited if not all; at least some of the marvelous   traits of our national hero. 

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After 150 Years, There's Still More About Jose Rizal That We Have to Know

Dr. Jose Rizal being our national hero is worth remembering not only on his death anniversary but also on the anniversary when he was born.  Thus, on June 19,  though he is no longer here to celebrate his 150^th birth anniversary, it is just right that the country whom he loved so much to die for it will re-live the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Genius, the Educator and Patriot that symbolizes the Filipino love of country.

The year 2011 is the nationwide celebration of the 150^th birthday of Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines who was born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna.  With the contributions he had given to our country, it is but just right that he be given the rightful accord that he truly deserves.

In the current era as in the past, perhaps we cannot find anymore a Filipino of Jose Rizal’s calibre.  By reliving his memory by different sectors, the people especially the youth of today will be able to know him better beyond what is taught at school.  Frankly speaking, the lessons about Rizal in our constitutionally mandated Rizal subject in school be it in elementary, high school or college are  or were not enough to divulge all of our national heroes empowering traits that makes him the  incomparable hero that we have today.  It is only through relieving his life and become part of the celebration and having the effort to know him as a person both in his private and public life can we really say that we have at least know him.

 There is so much about Dr. Jose Rizal that a Filipino is not aware of.  There are still more interesting facts about him that only bonafide historians and even his great grandchildren can share.  It is from them that we gathered informations that were otherwise not tackled by our so called history teachers in school. Everything about him is worth knowing, even his flaws in life.  It is by knowing him more will we appreciate him as a person because, then, we realize that he is just like you and me in many ways except for his outstanding love of our country.  It is his humanity that makes him great, more than his being a hero.  One can actually relate to him as a human person.

150 years and still counting.  How many years more before we can actually say we already know our national hero well enough?  I cannot say for sure.

For example, if it not for his 150^th birth anniversary celebration, I wouldn’t know that  he wasn’t married to Josephine Bracken at all as claimed by one of his great granddaughter, information that would not have surmised in any other ordinary day.  There is lots of other information from historians that we discover, some of which are outrageous and unconventional, some were maybe validated, and some were maybe not. 

This is exactly the information that we need especially on the part of the younger generation who cannot relate to him anymore if they only go by the textbooks.  Thanks to his 150^th birth anniversary celebration, we are able to be watch, read and got information about him in a different angle.

There are many things to learn about him.  And yes, this exceptional man whom we look up to as our hero is still very relevant in so many ways after 150 years have passed.  In no way will he become irrelevant.  He is the epitome of what loving ones country is all about.  So long as there are statues of him reminding us of dear history and even when they may have all gone, Dr. Jose Rizal stays in our hearts and minds.  His bravery and courage cuts our country above the rest.  His writings that got the ire of our arrogant colonizers are true courageous acts that subsequently caused him his life.  But even at death, this does not trouble him as marked by his normal blood pressure few hours prior to his execution.  Who can forget that?  His anecdote that shows his great values as a child became guiding inspiration   worth telling from one generation to the next.

Yes, there are still more things we need to learn about Rizal.  Whether they’re truth or myths does not make him less of a hero to me and to perhaps to many others.