RIZAL
Lover, Ilustrado, Artist,
Linguist, Doctor, Traveller, Reformist and a Psychic? A polymath and also a
Doctor Jose’ Rizal.
To know his superhuman heroic side, let us undress him first
remove his cape and mask, let us know him first his human side.
Pepe was born Jose’ Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo
Realonda on June 19, 1861 in Calamba Laguna, the Rizal-Mercado family was a
rich family in Calamba they maybe not the landowners but they were rich enough to have a piano, maids,
carriage, to travel Pepe abroad and
visit some countries, such as America, France, Britain and Spain. (Let us not talk about his Girlfriends)
An Indio or tagalog because during their time the term
Filipino was only reserved for Spanish who was born in the Philippines. (no
wonder why the revolutionaries called themselves tagalog and General Sakay called his
Government tagalog Republic- Tagalog meant for all of us browns, whether tagalogs,
Cebuano or ilonggos, because they are not called those times a Filipino, they
called themselves as tagalogs or
indios).
When Rizal was a kid, Rizal’s sister found him in his bahay kubo moulding a statue, he is
moulding a Napoleon Statue, Napoleon was a very short and small man like Pepe,
his sisters teased the young Jose’ Rizal, but pepe answered them back, Laugh
now , say what you want to say, in the future and when I’m gone People will
make me a monument.
Rizal was right, almost every town
in this country has a Rizal statue or monument, what would Rizal’s sister would
felt and say if they saw their brother’s image and likeness monuments.
Rizal was a brilliant schoolboy, it is true that he
graduated in the Ateneo Municipal de Manila now Ateneo de Manila Unversity,
with a grade of sobresaliente/
Excellentor what we called today a Valedectorian, but Unknown to others that he
is not the only one who got this magnificent grade, according to Historian
Ambeth Ocampo, There were 12 students in
Jose’s class and nine of them including the young Pepe graduated Sobesaliente.
Rizal’s Mother was his first teacher during his younger
years,and he was very close to his Kuya
Paciano, infact his older brother became
his adviser, and the one who wanted young Jose’ to use the Rizal surname
instead of their Family name Rizal Mercado, he dropped the name Mercado on
Rizal’s, the reason was he wanted to avoid being associated his younger brother
to him, after the execution of the Gomburza, because Paciano was known to have
a close relationship with the priests.(If you saw the movie Rizal).
There are some facts that people don’t know about him, one
of this is, Rizal actually did not wrote the poem “sa aking mga kababata” he did not wrote this during his younger
years nor wrote this during his adult years,
the main reason are, the deep
tagalog used in the poem, and the use of the word kalayaan, first Rizal cannot write straight tagalog, even in his
20’s to 30’s, his third novel Makamisa, actually it was unfinished novel, it
was his supposedly the first tagalog novel, but due to some reason he switches
back to Spanish language. ( ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay
higit ang amoy sa malansang isa). the second is the word Kalayaan, actually he encountered this word during his 20’s, so how
come he wrote the said tagalog poem when was a kid?.
In Europe Rizal along with the Filipino Expatriates was
member of the ilustrados, and hwe was also a freemason, a fencer, a pistol
shooter, Rizal was one of the La Solidaridad an Orginaztion founded on December
13, 1888 along with Marcelo H. del Pilar, Galicano Apacible and Graciano Lopez
jaena, they wrote essays, articles and news. The aim was to have equality from
spain, and that Philippines be a province of Spain, unlike the revolutionaries
who wanted an independence from spain, the ilustrados wanted a reform intead of
bloody revolution, the only freedom ilustrados want is to have a freedom of
speech and assembly, but La soidaridad was stopped maybe due to some lacks of
funds? Or Rizal and del Pilar’s disagreement over the leadership, so Rizal
decided to go back to the Philippines to establish the La liga Filipina on 1892
in tondo in the house of Doroteo Onjunco, one of the League’s member was the
soon to be the father of katipunan Andres Bonifacio, but after a few days league
became weaker without rizal, from ashes to new life- now the league’s death and
the birth of katipunan.
The Government felt
that rizal’s league was a threat to them so they arrested him and exiled in dapitan, Zamboanga, there Rizal became a tacher, farmer, engineer,
businessman and the town’s doctor, there he met the very beautiful Josephine
Bracken, but after his exile in dapitan on 1896, we went back to manila, now
the the Secret Society Katipunan is full-blown, the Spanish arrested those who are suspected members, to avoid his life to the katipunan, he volunteered
himself to go to Cuba and offer his
service as a doctor, and the then Governor General Ramon Blanco granted his
wish, but unfortunately he was arrested in cuba, imprisoned in Spain, and sent
back to Philippines to stand trial, the Spanish government accused Rizal as the
prime mover of the katipunan.
Now for his writings, his two famous Books the EL
filibusterismo and Noli me tengere or in English Touch me not from the bible
verse John 20:17. In his books Rizal proved that the pen is Mightier than the
Sword, his books reveals the corruption of the Spanish government the unjust
treatment, both the friars and the government.
Now The Question is.
Why Rizal is our national hero? is it righteous that he
should be our national hero? And why he has a lot of enemies despite from being
only a reformist. (words can kill, pen can slit than bullets and swords).
Why is he our national hero?
Before he got killed, a Spanish doctor examines his pulse,
to surprise that his pulse beats calmly; it shows that Rizal is not afraid of
his death.
As Prof. Ambeth Ocampo said, “Rizal could have lived beyond
December 30, 1896 if he had simply stayed out in the Philippines and its politics”
yes, Mr. A. Ocampo was right, Rizal could simply live his life without touching
the spain and politics, but Rizal loves his country so much to the point of sacrificing his own life. Why he’s our national hero? We all know that he
did not tear his cedula in the cry of pugad lawin, nor draw his gun and shout
freedom. It is clear that Rizal is Bonifacio’s and the revolutionaries
inspiration, He proved that by still pen is mightier than the sword,
If no La liga Filipina No Katipunan, if no Katipunan, no
Aguinaldo, if no Aguinaldo no President and First Philippine republic. I believed on Rizal’s saying Why freedom if
the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow, he is right, look at
today, we are slaves of our own fellow Filipino people.
And why he earned a lot of enemies? Okay the answer is simple, a lot
of journalist today who got killed after for what they wrote about the
corruption. THE POWER OF WORDS
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