EXERCISE 7.

Focusing on Important Rizalian Traits and Virtues

Activity: Follow the instructions and write your answers on the space provided.

1. Listed below are some important traits and virtues of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.
 Love for God
 Love for Parents
 Love for Country
 Love for Fellowmen
 Love for the Environment/
nature
 Courage
 Initiative
 Courtesy and Politeness
 Thrift
 Gratitude
 Love for Justice
 Love for Education
 Idealism
 Noble Conduct
 Self-sacrifice
 Self-control
 Charity
 Devotion of truth
 Honesty
 Humility
 Creativity
 Cite particular occasions and events given in the book where Rizal showed,
manifested, or practiced the traits and virtues listed above.

Answer:

 Love for God – When his sister Olympia died after childbirth upon his arrival in
the Philippines from Europe in August 1887, Rizal remarked: "I console myself
saying that it was the will of God and what He does must be the best."
 Love for Parents – Rizal's great love for his parents was very admirable. His
concern over their sacrifices and his thoughtfulness are worth initiating. "I Beg My
Beloved Parents To Always Bless Their Son."
 Love for Country – Rizal dedicated his whole life securing freedom for his country
and happiness for his people, a devotion unparalleled in the history of his country.
"My mission," he told his former mentor at the Ateneo, Father Paula de Sanchez,
"is to make men worthy."
 Love for Fellowmen – Another great virtue of Rizal in conformity with what God
desires was his love for his fellowmen.
 Courage – Rizal's courage in loving his country is virtue that is very relevant today.
His moral courage to do only the best for his people is worth imitating by our
leaders. Rizal possessed the essential element of responsive leadership that is
attending to the needs of the people in order to keep their love and affection.
 Initiative – Initiative or self-direction is a person's readiness to think a line of
conduct and ability to carry it out on his own responsibility. Initiative is a virtue
needed in the progress of society. Like Rizal, he has the initiative to do what is
right and to defend his country from the abusive governance of the Castillians.
 Courtesy and Politeness – Courtesy is graceful and considerate behavior toward
others, it demands attention, politeness, refinement, and affability. Politeness is a
quality of being well-bred. Rizal is very considerate to other people especially to
his parents.
 Thrift – Thrift is a virtue of being economical in the use of material, money, time
and energy. Rizal practiced the habit of thrift when he was a student in Madrid,
Spain, he would have his shoes repaired instead of buying a new one. Now and
then he economized in food expenses.
 Gratitude – When a person shows gratefulness, he has a grateful nature. "He that
urges gratitude", wrote Seneca, pleads the cause of both God and men, for without
it we can neither be sociable nor religious.
 Love for Justice – JUSTICE is the moral habit by which a man gives to another
what is his due. A man with a good conscience finds joy in being just. Rizal fought
hard for justice not only for himself and his family but also for his people.
  Love for Education – Rizal is very intelligent. When he was 11 years old, Rizal
entered the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. He earned excellent marks in subjects
like philosophy, physics, chemistry, and natural history. Rizal eventually earned a
land surveyor’s and assessor’s degree from the Ateneo Municipal while taking up
Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas.
 Idealism – Another virtue of Rizal worth emulating was his insistence on purity of
thoughts and clean behavior. Perfection in virtue is a condition of our union with
God.
 Noble Conduct – Another virtue of Rizal worth emulating was his insistence on
purity of thoughts and clean behavior. Perfection in virtue is a condition of our union
with God.
 Self-sacrifice – Another admirable virtue practiced by Rizal was abnegation or
self-denial. Self-denial is means giving up one's desire for a better cause, as
working for welfare of one's country. Self-denial implies self-sacrifice, love and
humility. Rizal sincerely believed that he was not the only man capable of leading
his people.
 Self-control – When a man can check his actions and feelings, he has self-control.
Rizal acts only in seeking what is good, depending on the intellect for its data.
 Charity – It is the greatest of all the virtues because it inclines us to love God
above all things for His own sake, and our neighbors for the sake of God. "I Feel
Happy When I Can Give Joy to Somebody"
 Devotion of Truth – Rizal's constant search for truth in serving his country was
an inspiring virtue that endeared him to his people. Wanting to get at the cause of
his people's backwardness, Rizal made intensive studies and carried on extensive
observations on the progress of nations.
 Honesty – Integrity is the uprightness or a state of being of sound moral principle.
Rizal's honesty was the result of his constant love and search for the truth. He
possessed integrity to a high degree of excellence which every one of us should
imitate. The basic element of humility is the acceptance that whatever we
possessed we owe to God who has planned a duty for us.
 Humility – Rizal is humble. He does not boast his achievements to other people.
Instead he helps them especially the Filipino people in achieving independence.
 Creativity – Rizal’s way of expressing his creativity is through his works and
writings which is still used and read up to this day.

2. Examine carefully Dr. Rizal’s important traits and virtues, compare them with
your own traits and virtues, and decide if you would like them to be your role
model.
 Rizal has always been a person that had virtue and love for God, his parents,
and love for the country. He also have certain traits that make you want to be like him
such as self-control, respect to other people, and being humble. And because of that,
it is important not only me, but as well as other people especially the youth to make
Jose P. Rizal a role model. We should be like him.
3. Is it important for an individual to have a role model? Explain your answer.

It is important for an individual to have a role model because it influence our

actions and motivate us to strive harder, uncover our true potentials and overcome
our weakness. Having them pushes us to make the most of our life. Also role models
are our guide to help us understand who we would like to be in the future.

Furthermore, having a good role model can help us increases or morale and
boost our confidence, to face the obstacles that we may encounter in the future thus
resulting to being successful in life.

4. What is the advantage of having Rizal as a role model? Will it increase chances
of becoming an ideal Filipino citizen and a successful professional?

Having a role model is good because it means that there is someone that we
look up to and there is someone that we want to be in the future. Dr. Jose P. Rizal is
not any other human. He is an achiever or shall we say excel in everything that he do.
Aside from making history, he also ignited the flame in the hearts of Filipino so that
they may realize their rights which then lead to revolution and freedom. So in
conclusion, if Rizal became or role model, it will increase chances of becoming an
ideal Filipino citizen and a successful professional.
5. Who is your personal hero? Does she/ he have Rizal’s traits and virtues?

My personal hero is my mom because she acts both as a father and mother to
us. She is our provider, protector, she teaches us good conduct, she gives us things
that we did not ask for and she is by our side when we need comfort in life. She may
not have super powers just like the super heroes in comic books, or as clever as Dr.
Jose P. Rizal, but still she possess some of their traits and virtues.

Integration: The space provided, write your answers after doing the activity. In two or
three statements, complete the following:

I realized that: We should have an inspiration or role model in life where their experience
and history would guide us in shaping ourselves to becoming a successful individual.
I resolve that: Having a role model in life would help improve your daily living and will
have a big impact with in ourself. This role model would help us in achieving our goals in
life.