Dr.

Jose
Rizal:
His relevance to
contemporary Filipino
Nationalism




Dr. J os Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda or simply known to us
Filipinos as Dr. Jose P. Rizal, our National hero. First, let us find out who he is. Who is
he? WHAT is he? Most of all, what did he do for the Philippines?
Who is Rizal? Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna. A son to a
father named Francisco Mercado Rizal and a mother named Teodora Alonso Realonda.
He was a brother to ten (10) siblings named: Saturnina, Paciano, Narcisa, Olimpia,
Lucia, Maria, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad. What is Rizal? Rizal was one
of the greatest heroes the Philippines have ever seen. He was a polymath, one whose
knowledge is not contained or restricted to one subject. He was an artist, a poet, and
zoologist having discovered species of animals later to be named after him, a painter, a
teacher, an educator, author, doctor, ophthalmologist, surgeon and more. He was a
polyglot, a linguist, in Filipino Dalubwika. Languages that Rizal mastered include;
these included Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew,
Italian, Japanese, Latin, Malayan, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog,
and other native dialects. But most of all, he was a nationalist, A FILIPINO Nationalist.
He believed in peace. He lived to promote reforms for the Philippines, he wanted
for us to be properly recognized as a state or province of Spain. He died for his nation.
Rizal was a member of a Propaganda Movement named La Liga Filipina. La Liga
Filipinas objective was to involve the people directly in the reform movement. La Liga
Filipina was later split into two groups; one being the K.K.K. or the Kataas-taasang,
Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng

mg

Anak ng

Bayan or simply, the Katipunan.

Led by Andres Bonifacio, the Katipunans primary aim was to gain independence
from Spain through revolution.
He wrote very influential novels named Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
These two novels opened the eyes of the Filipinos to the explicit oppression of the
Spanish. These two novels awakened the citizens of our country. Many would like gain
independence from the oppression the people of Spain has brought. Many would like to
be free. Many would like the Philippines, the people of the Philippines to have their own
identity. To be called more than indios, but to be called FILIPINOS.
Our national hero, Rizal, was not the leader of the Revolution, nor did he take
any part in it. True that he opposed the revolution, true that he refused to lead it, he
even called the revolution a useless misfortune! He did so because he believed that the
Revolution was impossible. He thought that the Filipinos would be recklessly, pointlessly
sacrifice or waste their lives in battle. He believed that we are not ready for a revolution.
Revolution will have a place when its needed. Rizal believed that we, the Filipinos who
merely had swords, itak, and bolo were no match for the Spaniards who had
ammunition and firepower.
This kind of mindset was later evident in Filipinos when we were colonized or
invaded by the Americans. The Filipinos then were more peaceful and lived fairly well
with the Americans. They settled for peace. They even let Americans build us a
government. Its just that, shall I say, the Americans were more lenient than the
Spanish. That mindset or attitude is still evident at present times. People would like to
settle things in peace rather than use violence. The People Power Revolution is a
strong example. The People Power Revolution or the EDSA Revolution was a
successful nonviolent revolution that sought to oust President Ferdinand Marcos.
Jose Rizal and his family valued his education. Education will help Rizal level
up to a higher social status. At a point in time, his mother thought that he had learned
enough and would want him to cease studying. But, his father believed that his
intelligence would be wasted if he did not pursue his studies. His brother would even go
far to covering up for him and lying to their parents for the sake of his education.
In the same manner, people today highly value education. Education is the key to
a better life, and just like in Rizals time, education was more of a privilege than a right.
We value education greatly to the extent that our parents are willing to sacrifice
anything, willing to work abroad, willing to do anything just to provide us good
education. Parents would only want the best for their beloved children. That is the
reason why I preferred to study here De La Salle University - Manila. My mother thought
that De La Salle University Manila would provide me the best education we have in
the Philippines.
What is independence without education? This proves that we need education
for our true independence. Without education, we would all have a blind nationalism.
Even until now, were not even sure what a Filipino is, what Philippine nationalism
means.
What is NATIONALISM? According to Merriam Webster 2013, NATIONALISM
is loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness
exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its
culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups.
LOYALTY AND DEVOTION TO A NATION; Rizal had a great loyalty and
devotion to our country, to the Philippines. Jose Rizal had reached different countries,
different places. He experienced different cultures, learned different languages. But,
despite the heights he had reached, the countries he reached, the languages he
learned, the cultures he experienced, he never forgot the Philippines. He never forgot
how to speak Tagalog, to write in Tagalog. He could have a better life in other countries
but, why did he chose to go home here in the Philippines? He wanted prove his loyalty
and devotion to the Philippines. He wanted to prove his determination. He wanted to
avoid arguments that he can only do his heroic acts because he was not in the
Philippines and therefore, was far away from danger.
However, Jose Rizals influence somehow decreases over time. Or perhaps the
later Filipinos lacked the courage and bravery that Rizal possessed. The Filipinos during
the American Reign was somehow passive and let the Americans overcome us. During
the Japanese Invasion some of the Filipino people helped the Japanese colonizers to
seize, capture or hunt the rebelling Filipino forces for fear of their lives. This so-called
loyalty to the Philippines soon reduced and reduced until it went to the point that the
loyalty and devotion to the Philippines vanished.
But then, this loyalty and devotion to the mother country was revived at some
point in time. During the 2000s, there had been a news that graduates of the
universities in the Philippines must first work here in our country for at least two (2)
years before travelling and searching for job opportunities abroad.
A SENSE OF NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS; Jose Rizal was one of the people
who had the greatest sense of national consciousness. He belonged to the middle class
and his education helped him to open his eyes and realize the organized oppression
that the Philippines had been experiencing from the Spaniards. He had formed a group
a Propaganda movement that comprises of the awakened Filipinos. The goal of their
organization is to awaken, open the eyes, and make fellow Filipinos realize the
oppression they had been experiencing. The awakened Filipinos especially the masses
have established their own movement, their own organization that resulted to the
Philippine Revolution.
This sense of national consciousness is still alive and burning in the spirit of most
Filipinos. Filipinos today are more open-minded, liberated, and free. Filipinos nowadays
are more aware and conscious about the different affairs of the Philippines. Many
organizations about social and political awareness emerged to existence. Filipinos are
no longer stubborn and ignorant. Rallies are happening everywhere, people are
searching for reforms for the betterment of the majority.
PROMOTION OF ITS CULTURE AND INTEREST AS OPPOSED TO OTHER
NATIONS OR OTHER SUPRANATIONAL GROUPS; Jose Rizal proved that contrary
to Spanish belief that Filipinos were barbarians and the Spanish gave us our
civilization, before the Spaniards arrived here in the Philippines, we had our own
civilization. Ironically, he proved it by annotating a Spanish text. He read and
republished the Spanish text with his own notes. The said text states that even before
Spanish rule, Filipinos had its own unique civilization, Filipinos had their own religion
and Filipinos had their own government system. Rizal advocated for a formal
recognition of the Philippines as a province of Spain and a position in the Spanish
Cortes. Rizal emphasized that even though we were a colony, WE HAVE OUR OWN
IDENTITY.
A good example of this promotion of culture and interest of country as opposed
of other nations is the ITS MORE FUN IN PHILIPPINES campaign. It makes the
country look more positive and it promotes cultural development specifically with the
Bayanihan view. The campaign is all about the experiences, food, places, tourist spots,
and all things here in the Philippines are MORE FUN than other countries.
Jos Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda had a great influence to the idea
of Filipino Nationalism. Not just, today, recently, modern, and contemporary. His
influence, his impact to the idea of Nationalism is for all time. With people studying his
life, his ideals, his advocacies, his values will continue to live on with the future
generations. Today, after completing this essay as partial fulfillment to the requirements,
it did not only strike my mind, but also my heart. It made me reflect the real value and
relevance of Jose Rizal to the Philippines. Today, I fully realized the importance of Rizal
Law, the studying of Rizal and Jose Rizal Himself.
Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa
pinanggalingan, ay hindi kailanman
makararating sa paroroonan. - Dr.
Jose P. Rizal
Ang kabataan ay ang pag asa ng
bayan. - Dr. Jose P. Rizal






Bibliography:
Zaide, G. F., & Zaide, S. M. (1984). Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of a Genius,
Writer, Scientist, and National Hero. National Book Store.
Nationalism [Def. 1] (n.d) Merriam-Webster Online. In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved July 7, 2013
from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalism