Answer the following questions: (5 sentences Maximum and Minimum each)

1. Who is the person in the monument in Luneta?

The person in the monument is Dr. Jose P. Rizal with the full name of Jose
Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda. He is one of the eleven children of
Francisco Rizal Mercado y Alejandro and Teodora Alonso Realonda y Quintos and they
are two brothers of his older brother Paciano. Dr. Jose Rizal was born on June 19,1861,
in Calamba, Laguna. In their area, aside from Jose, he is also called 'Pepe'. He was
named a national hero and was the author of the popular noble Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, which became his tool of defending the Philippines. He became an eye
doctor and author of novels and poetry.

2. Why he has a monument in Luneta?

The Philippine Commission of the United States authorized Act No. 243 on
September 28, 1901, which granted the right to use public land on the Luneta in the city
of Manila. It is where the monument was created to commemorate the memory of José
Rizal, a Philippine nationalist, author, and poet. Its intention in creating the monument in
Luneta is to honor Rizal. The Rizal monument was authorized by President Theodore
Roosevelt of the United States. It is the act that provides the allocation of land in the
Luneta to build the memorial near where Rizal fell on December 30, 1896, when he was
executed by the Spaniards.

3. What is the importance of Jose Rizal?

One of the most admired figures in Philippine history is José Rizal (1861-1896).
He was a multifaceted intellectual and political activist, best known for his political
writings that inspired the revolution in the Philippines and eventually led to the Spanish
colonizers' execution of him. Philippine nationalism was aroused by his novels. Much of
his writings concentrated on human rights and democracy, especially for the Filipino
people, both in his essays and editorials. He also called for the incorporation of the
Philippines to become a province of Spain as part of his reforms. Jose Rizal became the
national hero of the Philippines because, in a quiet but strong way, he fought for
independence.

4. What are his Novels?

 The Social Cancer (Noli Me Tangere), The Reign of Greed (El Filibusterismo) are
the two novels written by Dr, Jose Rizal. During the colonization of the Philippines by
Spain, Noli Me Tángere, Latin for "Touch me not," is an 1887 novel by José Rizal
detailing the perceived inequities of the Spanish Catholic friars and the ruling
government. While in El Filibusterismo, a secret urge for an explosive insurgency to
remove the Spanish government was the general theme. To show people how the
Philippines were being bonded by Spain, Jose wrote two books, Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo. And to get their first reform party and to get their independence from
Spain, Jose founded the Philippine League.

5. What are his Poems?

Mi último adios in 1897 that tells us how beautiful the Philippines are and how
Rizal wants us to learn from our history and to see the reality of how we are perceived
by the world. Sa Aking Mga Kabata in 1906 that is written in Tagalog concerning the
love of one's native language. A la juventud Filipina in 1879 was written when he was
just eighteen years old, and was dedicated to the Filipino youth he describes as "the fair
hope of my motherland." Himno al Trabajo, written in 1888 is a poem in response to a
request from his friends from Lipa, Batangas, who wanted a hymn during the elevation
of the then municipality of Lipa. These are the poems written by Dr. Jose Rizal.

6. Who are the women who were linked to Jose Rizal?

Jose Rizal is known to have many women in his life. At least nine women, such
as Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera, Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San,
Gertrude Beckette, Nelly Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby and Josephine Bracken, were said
to be linked with Jose Rizal. His intelligence, charm and wit may have tricked these
women. His childhood sweetheart and "lover by correspondence" Leonor Rivera was
said to be Jose Rizal’s true love. But, Marie Josephine Leopoldine Bracken was his
common-law wife during his exile in Dapitan.

7. What Jose Rizal really stood for?

In the Philippines, José Rizal called for peaceful reform of the colonial rule of
Spain. He became a symbol for the nationalist movement after his 1896 execution.
Goodness symbolizes a hero and by using goodness, Rizal gave us liberty. Jose Rizal
became the national hero of the Philippines because, in a quiet but strong way, he
fought for independence. Through his novels, essays and posts, he conveyed his
affection for the Philippines rather than by using force or violence.
8. Why Jose Rizal was shot in Luneta?
Dr. Jose Rizal died on December 30, 1896 in Bagumbayan in Manila which is
now Luneta Park. Rizal was killed with a gun. He was shot backwards but he suddenly
turned around because the backward shot meant betraying the people. He was killed by
the Spaniards because of his novels that contained Spanish slavery and abuse of the
Filipinos and were accused of betraying the people. The last thing Dr. Jose Rizal before
his death was "Consummatum Est", in Tagalog it means "done" and in English it means
"it is done" or "it is finished".
9. Why is Jose Rizal our National Hero and not any other heroes?
Jose Rizal became the national hero of the Philippines because, in a quiet but
strong way, he fought for independence. Through his novels, essays and posts, he
conveyed his affection for the Philippines rather than by using force or violence. At his
period, he was a very impressive guy. Aside from that, he differs from other heroes in a
way that he is a man with multiple profession. Rizal displayed other amazing talents,
aside from being recognized as a medical specialist, a poet, and an essayist.

10. Why is Jose Rizal called “the soul of Andres Bonifacio?

Bonifacio read Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo by Jose Rizal. He joined
Rizal's La Liga Filipina on July 3, 1892, becoming one of the twenty participants in the
meeting administered by Rizal at Doroteo Ongjunco's house in Manila. Bonifacio and
others resurrected La Liga in the absence of Rizal when Rizal was exiled to Mindanao.
Rizal and his writings became the inspiration of Katipunan and also a basis and source
or military tactics for the revolution. Rizal was so influential to Bonifacio and the rest of
Katipuneros that they even shouted his name as part of the society’s battle cry.

11. What is the relevance of studying Jose Rizal in your Course or Career?
Aside from Jose Rizal being our national hero, and we as Filipinos, of course
need to know who he is and what are his contributions to what we have now because
he did so many things for our country. And aside from that, amidst all this hoopla, one
aspect of Rizal barely explored or discussed in much detail, is that of him as an
ophthalmologist. Rizal was also a physician who trained in ophthalmology under 2
prominent European ophthalmologists, Louis de Wecker and Otto Becker. Another
reason why he chose medicine for a career was to be able to cure his mother's growing
blindness. And I think this makes studying rizal more relevant in our chosen course
because in some ways we share same ground in helping people in their medical needs.

12. What is the purpose of studying the Life and Works of Jose Rizal?
It is important to study the life of Jose Rizal because of his input towards the
independence of Philippines. He chose to fight for his country through knowledge and
the power of letters. He noticed the continued suffering of his countrymen at the hands
of the Spaniards and sought to put an end to this situation.
The purpose of study his life and works is to rededicate the lives of youth to the
ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our heroes lived and died. Also to pay
tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino
character and lastly is to gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of
Rizal's life, works, and writings.
13. What are the societal problems experienced by Jose Rizal in his time?
So by the time of Jose Rizal, Filipinos were in midst of struggle. Abused and
cruelty of the Spaniards during the Spaniards colonial rule are present, also mishandling
of power of the friars during the catholic rule made the Filipinos suffers and the
harassment and slavery they did to the Filipinos, also the discrimination and improper
treatment they have and the injustice killing of Jose Rizal and the rest of innocent
people.
14. Does the societal problem in the time of Jose Rizal still exist today?
Though many years have come by, societal problems like before are still very
rampant nowadays. Abuse and cruelty between each other are still present, overused of
power by the people in authorities and the unfair justice system of Philippines where
those privileged people have the capabilities to run from their punishment. And of
course the discrimination we received.
15. Why do we need another Jose Rizal today?
We need someone like Jose Rizal in today’s generation because we need
someone who have enough courage to be involved in bigger issues in the society that
we are facing today. Someone who will represent the voices of the people without
engaging into physical war or violence. Also someone who uses pen and paper and
maybe today uses keyboards to fight those who are in wrong positions. And of course
who loves our country, culture and language more than anything.
16. What does it take to be another Jose Rizal?
Dr. Jose Rizal is indeed an irreplaceable hero we got. Being just brave and
intelligent does make you look like or act as Rizal. It takes courage, an open mind, skills
and heart to be in his level. You need to have your own stand and know what the
purpose of your life is. Jose really wanted to have freedom in the Philippines from
Spain, so that the Filipinos did not have to be controlled by another country. So in order
to be like Rizal, you need to be someone who doesn’t fight by his own name but instead
doing things for the good of the people and who is not afraid by the consequences.
17. Will you be the another Jose Rizal?
Honestly speaking sir, I do think that I really don’t have the enough qualities to be
another Jose Rizal. I have my own limitations and fears. Because you cannot just
simply say that “I can be like the other Jose Rizal”, so need to prove to yourself that you
deserved to be someone whose as respected as Dr. Jose Rizal. Dr. Jose Rizal is
indeed an irreplaceable hero we got. Being just brave and intelligent does make you
look like or act as Rizal. It takes courage, an open mind, skills and heart to be in his
level.
18. If you are Jose Rizal, what will you do to solve our current societal problem?
I think, I would also do what Jose Rizal did before, I would voice out the opinions
of the people who suffered in the worst side of the government and societal system.
Because their cries and voices cannot be heard because higher authorities tends to
ignore them maybe because of the power they have or even maybe because of money.
If I were to become another Jose Rizal, using different platforms present in today’s
generation might be one of the best choices, may it be in articles, social media, forums
and many other, it needs to be consider the status and the advances to really highlight
your ideas to public.