Estrella, Jessica Mae W. 3BIO6 Veneration without Understanding Reaction Paper
Rizal and the Revolution. The mere fact that Rizal’s means of gaining the Philippines’ freedom differed from the way of the revolution is a clear evidence that each one of us has the capacity to view situations and events in light of different perspectives. I believe that Rizal’s repudiation of the revolution may be partly influenced by his own personal background and upbringing. As we grow into becoming mature individuals, each one of us encounters different obstacles and trials, which shapes us. These are few of the primary factors that influence our own perception and views in life. Rizal may perceive things differently from the revolution, they may have used different means in reaching their goals, but I choose to believe that they both have one thing in common and that is their love for o ur Philippines. Philippines. An American-Sponsored American-Sponsored Hero. “They favored a hero who would not run against the grain of American American colonial policy,” this is the line that struck me the most. In all the years that I have known of Rizal, I never once thought that there were other candidates who may be qualified to be considered as our national hero. Knowing the high approval of the th e Americans in making Rizal our country’s hero, as well as knowing some possible reasons behind this appraisal is truly something worth pondering upon on. Suddenly, questions like ‘did Rizal truly deserve the title?’ and ‘if he was alive during the time of selection would he still be our national hero?’ hero?’ circled my mind. To judge whether he should be considered as our national hero or not is a task for someone who has a deep background in Rizal’s life, which I can honestly admit that I do not possess yet. The Role of Heroes. Even without Rizal, the nationalist struggle would have ensued. For me, individual heroes serve as catalysts to one struggling nation. They make progress faster by leading the nation and by becoming the example, the role model to look up to and to follow. Yes they are important, but without one person, there will be another one willing to become the hero especially in times of need. We are all leaders; heroes even by nature and all of us are capable of becoming that person who triggers triggers change. Innovation and Change. It is very much evident that a country’s economy is one factor that mobilizes change. With the emergence of our economy comes the development of technology. These two, I believe initiated a big change in our country, culturally and socially. We cannot deny the influence of technology not only in our country but also in the world. It makes communication not only possible but also much easier and during the time of Rizal, getting hold of communication was indeed necessary. The Ideological Framework. “…For his time this limited goal was already a big step in the right direction.” Rizal did not only think of his own welfare but the welfare of the entire people. He wanted change and his actions obviously proves that. Despite the fact that his original aim was not achieved, the separation of the Filipinos from Spain gave them the push they needed all along. It made the Filipinos see that they are people who deserves to be recognized as a race who is free, independent, independent, and one. The Concept of Filipino Nationhood. Nationhood. It was interesting to know that the term Filipino originally referred to Spaniards who were born in the Philippines and that we, the Filipinos today, were called indios. Truth be told, I am grateful towards Rizal for leading the indios to be accepted as Filipinos. I cannot agree more that we are equal with the Spaniards, or with anyone in fact in terms of culture and
property. These indios being recognized as Filipinos is a big step towards gaining that proper recognition that we all deserved. Being considered as a Filipino was an event that gave a big impact not only to their life but their own identity. The “Limited Filipinos. “A people have every right to be free.” This statement I trust is very much true. Freedom should not be a prize for someone who finishes his or her education, it should not be a reward to someone who does something good, it is a right that must be given to everyone. For me, freedom is a gift given to us to choose our own path in life. Yes, we make mistakes and do stupid things, but these things makes us learn, it teaches us to see the difference between what is right and what is wrong, and it molds us into becoming who we are today. In the decisions we make regarding our journey in life, there will always be a choice, and all of us regardless of nationality, of social classes, and of age , should be given the freedom to make that choice. The Precursors of Mendicancy. “They felt that education gave them the right to speak for the people.” I disagree with this line because though education is big advantage in a person, it does not mean that people, if educated, will suddenly gain that right to speak, to make decisions, in behalf of all those unfortunate ones who were deprived of education. As one nation, everyone should learn how to be open-minded to the suggestions and views of others and be able to compromise and find a common ground. In this way, I believe, will we be able to find peace and build unity amongst diversity. Ilustrados and Indios. “It was Bonifacio and the Katipunan that embodied the unity of revolutionary consciousness and revolutionary practice.” This mere line proves the difference in the ways of the Iliustrados and Indios. I guess it is safe to say that the Katipunan acted spontaneously and with confidence. They showed their emotion and feeling towards the Spaniards by demonstrating acts of rebellion. Being not fortunate enough in receiving good education did not stop them from showing their hunger for the country’s freedom. This drive despite whatever consequences, that courage, I believe is something to be proud of. Blind Adoration. I definitely agree that hero-worship must be both historical and critical. The problem with most Filipinos is that we only see the most significant thing one has done and judge him with only knowing that one fact, which I believe, is unfair and not right. To be able to judge someone, we must know his background, his life, and the situations surrounding him during that period of time. Limitations of Rizal. Rizal was limited only to his time. I myself am doubtful on whether he is capable on solving the problems of our country today. But this is not a subtraction from his intellectual capacity rather a proof that each person has his or her own limitations. Rizal was able to create solutions in the past because that was his time, it was his generation. He knew the oppressors and generated his means based on the extent of his knowledge back then. The Negation of Rizal. “We cannot rely on Rizal alone.” We tend to see Rizal as someone unreachable, someone who showed his love for his country until his last breath, a martyr. Because of these generalizations, we fail to realize that we too can be heroes in our own ways. One does not need to die to show his or her love for their country, there are a lo t of ways in showing our nationalistic sides. What we truly need is a proper mindset and a continuous motivation that we can reach our goals. As a Filipino, I believe that it is only just to include our motherland in our dreams, that someday, the whole world will be able to see the Philippines in its true beauty, both the negative and positive sides.
We could all be heroes. This is the very first statement that lightened up my mood because it gave me hope. It gave me something to yearn for and to strive for. Rizal would be like the beacon that would light our path towards becoming that hero. He would be the person who will guide us through our journey. He will become the example, our role model, in times we seem lost. The thing about Rizal was that he never gave up. His determination to gain the people’s right to freedom was certainly incomparable and that I believe is the quality that all of us should possess. Motivation, perseverance, and determination, few of the positive qualities possessed by Rizal, but three of the qualities of a hero. I think it is time that we stop saying “di ko na kaya” and start saying “kaya ko to!” because what we can and what we cannot do depends on us. There will always be a way. But to learn, or not to learn, to strive, or to give up, and to act, or to not do anything, well these things will always be up to us. I certainly could not sum up everything that struck me and everything I have learned in this article but what I realized is that there are a lot of things to consider not only to judge Rizal but to judge a person as well. Before, all I knew about Rizal was that he was the author of two great novels, he was a doctor, and that he died for our country, but now I know that he is much more than that. It was very interesting to read about the “American-Sponsored Hero” part because I never thought of it that way. Honestly, it made me think about all the ‘what-ifs’ questions and made me doubt on Rizal’s acceptability in regards to becoming our national hero. But despite these things, I am well aware that each person is different and applaud Rizal for seizing the chance to stand out and make a difference. He, becoming an inspiration to the Filipinos truly is something worthy of recognition. He became the wake-up call everyone needed at that time therefore being a catalyst of change.
Reaction on the Documentary
The documentary was good in a way that it was able to give us an insight on the views of known people with regards to being nationalistic. It is a relief to know that these people, despite of who they are, still do care about the welfare of our country. They suggested ways such as taking care of our environment, respecting the law, supporting our own products, and the like to be able to show our nationalism. They also emphasized the importance of unity and cooperation as two qualities we must develop towards achieving a better Philippines. One of the interviewees mentioned the line “it will start from you” and I could not agree more with this line. It is important for every Filipino to instill this in their mind because to be able to generate the change we have been longing for in our country, everything must first begin with ourselves. We must be able to develop ourselves positively and become the best of who we are. Like what the DZMM radio host said, ‘We should set the standard of what is a Filipino.’ As a part of today’s youth, I feel that I am obliged to set that standard. People tend to see and point out all of the negative traits of the Filipinos and fail to consider and recognize all of our positive traits, this certainly should not be the case. It is time to do action not next month, not tomorrow, but today.
