Price, Robert Bryle C.

MH 21

READINGS ON RIZAL’S LIFE AND WORKS

Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda is the national hero and pride of the
Malayan race. He was born on June 19, 1861 in the town of Calamba, Laguna. He was a brilliant
student who became proficient in multiple languages who studied medicine in Manila and later
on traveled to Spain to complete his medical degree.

He was not only admired for possessing intellectual brilliance but also for taking a stand
and resisting the Spanish colonial government. While his death sparked a revolution to
overthrow the tyranny, Rizal will always be remembered for his compassion towards the Filipino
people and the country.

Rizal had been very vocal against the Spanish government, but in a peaceful and
progressive manner. For him, “the pen was mightier than the sword.” And through his writings,
he exposed the corruption and wrongdoings of government officials as well as the Spanish friars.

Among his best works, two novels stood out from the rest – Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me
Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of the Greed).

In both novels, Rizal harshly criticized the Spanish colonial rule in the country and
exposed the ills of Philippine society at the time. And because he wrote about the injustices and
brutalities of the Spaniards in the country, the authorities banned Filipinos from reading the
controversial books. Yet, they were not able to ban it completely. As more Filipinos read the
books, their eyes opened to the truth that they were suffering unspeakable abuses at the hands of
the friars. These two novels by Rizal, now considered his literary masterpieces, are said to have
indirectly sparked the Philippine Revolution.

Dr. Jose Rizal lived in a simple life. He did not choose luxury nor lived extravagantly as
influenced by his parents.

Upon reading his life story, I was able to appreciate the calmness and ability to think
rationally even at the most complicated circumstances. His advocacy of Philippine Independence
is by legal and peaceful way that is why he wrote many books in order to fire-up the
revolutionary spirit of the Filipinos.

As an educated man, I was able to learn from his philosophy the value of education as a
steppingstone towards gaining success for myself and for my country.

Rizal believed that waking up the innate desire of every Filipino youth to cultivate his
intelligence is such a great thing that every individual must ponder. His philosophy was affirmed
by his educational attainment, thus giving a strong support of his educational philosophy, and
giving him the credibility to talk such path towards educational success.
 As a religious man, Rizal did not believe in the Catholic dogma that salvation was only
for Catholics and that outside Christianity; salvation was not possible even if Catholics
composed only a small minority of the world’s religious groups. Nor did he believe in the
Catholic observation of fasting as a sacrifice, nor in the sale of such religious items as the cross,
medals, rosaries and the like in order to propagate the Faith and raise church funds.

Though Rizal was born from a closely-knit Catholic Family, he still fought for what is
true. His religious philosophy approves a part of our Wesleyan beliefs and that is a good thing
that we should be happy about. Furthermore, I learned that even though he has gone that far in
his attainments, he did not lose his humility and his faith to God.

Upon his return to the Philippines, Rizal formed a progressive organization called the La
Liga Filipina. This civic movement advocated social reforms through legal means. Now Rizal
was considered even more of a threat by the Spanish authorities (alongside his novels and
essays), which ultimately led to his exile in Dapitan in northern Mindanao.

This however did not stop him from continuing his plans for reform. While in Dapitan,
Rizal built a school, hospital, and water system. He also taught farming and worked on
agricultural projects such as using abaca to make ropes.

Days before his execution, Rizal bid farewell to his motherland and countrymen through
one of his final letters, entitled Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell). Dr. Jose Rizal was
executed in the morning of December 30, 1896, in what was then called Bagumbayan (now
referred to as Luneta). Upon hearing the command to shoot him, he faced the squad and uttered
in his final breath: “Consummatum est” (It is finished). According to historical accounts, only
one bullet ended the life of the Filipino martyr and hero.

To date, Dr. Rizal’s brilliance, compassion, courage, and patriotism are greatly
remembered and recognized by the Filipino people. His two novels are continuously being
analyzed by students and professionals that even colleges and universities in the Philippines
require their students to take a subject which centers around the life and works of Rizal.