JOSE RIZAL AS A NATIONAL SYMBOL
Jose Rizal and His Nationalism
Jose Rizal was idealistic, who wants to free his countrymen from ignorance,
exploitation and discrimination. With the use of his works and writings especially his
novels – Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, he reveals to his people their
experiences and sufferings, sufferings which he brought to light to awaken his
countrymen to the truths that had long remained unspoken, although not totally
unheard of. He showed to his people their sufferings from the friars and civil
authorities, how the friars who were guilty of bribery and corruption had made of
the Catholic religion an instrument of domination and had prostituted it with
exterior practices which foster the appearance of worship.
But Rizal did not put the blame entirely on the religious and civil authorities;
he also honestly showed the weaknesses and defects of the Filipinos. The people
themselves, by their timidity, fear, and cowardice had shackled their minds and
debased their souls. Contaminated by the airs of superiority of the Spaniards,
despise their own countrymen and make themselves ridiculous with their
pretensions at false imitation
Rizal wanted to vindicate his race from the insults and prejudices upon the
Filipinos, and that his people were not an anthropoid race, as the Spaniard asserted.
Although Filipinos have some vices and defects, the same with other people in the
world, they are not those which the Spanish writers attribute them – that there is no
stimulus to worth or to merit. Rizal wanted to bring back the pride in Filipino
ancestors, a necessary component in the formation of national consciousness, and
answer criticisms against Filipinos and their culture.
Why is Rizal our National Hero?
A hero symbolizes goodness. Rizal gave us freedom by using goodness. Jose
Rizal became the Philippine national hero because he fought for freedom in a silent
but powerful way. He expressed his love for the Philippines through his novels,
essays and articles rather than using force or aggression. He was a very amazing
person at his time. He was humble, fighting for reforms through his writings instead
of through a revolution. He used his intelligence, talents and skills in a more
peaceful way rather than the aggressive way.
He was known for his meekness and coolness, but he never fought on a war.
Most of the world Heroes were elevated as such because of their war exploits. Rizal
never did it. He was using his pen for criticism about the handling of the Spanish
government in the Philippines. He fought to have the Philippines a permanent
representation in the Spanish Cortes.
That's why when the US accepted the Philippines as a vassal country, Gen. Taft who
was the Governor general here, appointed Jose Rizal as the National Hero for the
Philippines, to douse the fighting fervor of the Filipinos who are fighting for freedom
at that time
Criteria for Heroes
Heroes are those who have a concept of the nation and thereafter aspire and
struggle for the nation’s freedom. However, a revolution has no end.
Revolutions are only the beginning. One cannot aspire to be free only to sink
back into bondage.
Heroes are those who define and contribute to a system or life of freedom
and order for a nation. Freedom without order will only lead to anarchy.
Heroes are those who contribute to the quality of life and destiny of a nation.
(As defined by Dr. Onofre D. Corpuz)
Additional Criteria for Heroes
A hero is part of the people’s expression. But the process of a people’s
internalization of a hero’s life and works takes time, with the youth forming a
part of the internalization
A hero thinks of the future, especially the future generations.
The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or events in
history, but of the entire process that made this person a hero.
