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DOES RIZAL DESERVES TO BE OUR NATIONAL HERO?

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GEED10013 LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

DOES RIZAL DESERVES TO BE OUR NATIONAL HERO?

A reflection paper on Veneration Without Understanding by Renato Constantino

I am certain I heard this issue before, they said it is Andres Bonifacio who should be the
national hero, because he fought in battlefield for our freedom. But I did not pay too much
attention about it because honestly, I don’t really know Rizal. It was tattooed in my brain that
Rizal is the only National hero. Not until I learned about the Veneration Without Understanding
by Renato Constantino.

Before reading the Veneration without understanding, I was so convinced and confident
that Rizal do deserves to be our national hero. Thinking how he used his intelligence in fighting
for freedom instead of violence amazed me. He’s the proves that a pen is mightier than a sword.
In contrast, after reading Constantino’s work, I am fully convinced that Rizal do not deserves to
be our national hero. A 15-page article convinced me and made me disagree into something
that I believed for my whole life. How did it happen? Constantino was biased but he presented
facts not just mere hearsays or theories.

I admit it is hard to negate my beliefs and ideas about Rizal, but I have to accept the
facts. I still respect Rizal. We cannot take away his greatness, his intelligence, and his
contribution to this nation. But to be honest I am agreeing with Constantino, Rizal was only valid
during his time. I still admire him, but the admiration I have for him now is less than compared to
the admiration I had for him before reading Constantino’s work. I only admire him now for his
intelligence and his courageous act to reform the colonialism, when in fact, he cannot.

In Constantino’s Introduction, he mentioned that in other nation their national hero is the
leader of the revolution who fought against the colonialism. In our case, Rizal is not a leader of a
revolution. Rizal did not like revolution, Constantino stated “he condemned and repudiated it.”
As a result, the Filipinos were put in a dilemma. But why we, the Filipinos, still believe that Rizal
deserves to be our national hero? My take aways form reading Veneration Without
understanding- Filipinos do not understand their own history, our concept of revolution and
freedom is too shallow. Filipinos do not really know Rizal; we just know the basics about him.
The lack of understanding to our own history, resulted in not knowing the core point why we love
our nation. It is easy to say “I Love my Country” but how can you prove that? What can you do
for this nation? Are you going to uprise against colonialism? Because our heroes did, Andres
Bonifacio together with the members of Katipunan revolt and fought against Spanish
colonialism. They refused to be colonized. They battled against the Spaniards, drenched with
blood belonging to them and their enemies. It was brutal and gore, “criminal method” as what
Rizal called it, but I think it is the real way of fighting for freedom, to fight injustices, violence,
and other mistreatment that the colonizers brought into us, Filipinos.

All this time I thought it is the Filipino people who made Rizal as a national hero, but the
truth is, it is the Americans who made him as a national hero. Constantino noted it was
American Governor General William Howard Taft who in 1901 suggested to the Philippine
Commission the naming of a national hero for Filipinos. A Rizal Day was established. The main
objective of the Americans is to colonize the Philippines. Rizal’s advocacy of education is the
way of the Americans to put us in a colonial system of education. In this part I understood why
someone is deserving to be a national hero more than Rizal. Rizal was a reformist who
advocates education and for recognition, not a revolutionist. He revered Spain as a good nation
but needs to be reform, that’s why he wrote Noli and El Fili targeting catholic religion during that
time. Come to think of it, Rizal never advocate for national freedom, he said “education and hard
work might make the Filipino people worthy of that freedom.” Rizal was born with full of
Privilege, his family was benefiting in hacienda system during Spanish colonialism. I therefore
conclude that because of Rizal’s privileges, he did not care about others unless they are
educated enough. What about the Filipinos who cannot afford education, specially during those
times where education is for elite people only? Rizal love the Spain more than he love
Philippines.

Rizal was the first Filipino, but Constantino described him as a limited Filipino only. Rizal
believed and fought to unite a nation, but he feared the revolution, and no one can deny that he
loved his motherland, but in his own way, an ilustrado way. As I mentioned, Rizal was
privileged, his family was benefiting from hacienda system which makes the peasantry suffered.
But still, Rizal have the national hero title. Rizal was for reform, but the Filipinos thought he was
for revolution. Bonifacio and the Filipinos failed to understand Rizal. Rizal Himself was wrong
because you cannot reform a colonialism. I think the only method to get away with colonialism
to become a nation is revolution. But for Rizal, the Filipinos have to be Spanish before they may
become Filipinos. Rizal became the leader of a reformist movement called propaganda, an
unwavering campaign for political and social freedom, lobbying the peninsular government,
using their connections with the liberal Spanish politicians (Reyno, 2012). Constantino stated,
instead of making the Filipinos close to Spain, the propaganda resulted to separation. The urge
for Hispanization was transformed into the development of a distinct national consciousness.
Therefore, Rizal is an incidental hero. The Filipinos failed to understand Rizal’s ideas of
assimilation, education, and reform, because we thought Rizal is a revolutionary, but he was
not, he was for reform, for Spain, and for education. He loves the Filipinos in his own ilustrado
way. Rizal wants to be equal with the colonizers; he dreamed of progress through assimilation,
but that is not how colonialism works. It is not possible for the colonialist and colonial to be put
together. To resolve colonialism, you must clash with it.

Not to invalidate Rizal’s contribution to the nation, but he was only valid during at his
time. As Constantino stated, Rizal was a necessary moment in our evolution, but he was only a
moment. I think the reason why Filipinos think highly of Rizal is because of his dramatic death.
He was accused of rebellion and get executed, when in fact he is a reformist. There are
questions that comes into my mind, what made Rizal to be a reformist, instead of a
revolutionary if he really loves his country? Were the situations during Spanish colonialism was
good for the people like Rizal, how about the normal or the lower-class Filipinos? I Think there
will never be a good situation for the lower-class people under a colonialism. Therefore, I
assume, Rizal was in a good situation during those time because of his privileges and did not
care about his oppressed countrymen, instead he wanted the colonialism to be reform.

It just saddened me knowing that many of us, Filipinos, does not understand our own
history, and we are not aware of it. Just like me, I would not know about Rizal being a reformist
and his true agenda, it just happens that I enrolled into this subject, which is I think it’s a good
thing. Now I understand why Historians are passionate about restoring the history and want
people to understand it. Because the more misunderstanding, the more complicated it gets.
Based on my observation on today’s generation, Filipinos tend to forget the history, because
first, they were not affected by the occurrence, second, they did not put effort to understand it,
and lastly, they want to hail and obsessed with famous and big names without giving care to
understand about their history. why are they famous? Do they deserve the fame and reputation?
These questions probably did not cross their mind because if it did, they won’t elect another
Marcos.

In relation of Rizal being an incidental hero into today’s issue in the Philippines. Rizal’s
family was famous, and Rizal was known for being intelligent, and his works. He was probably
instated as a national hero by these factors, but The Filipinos did not fully understand what it
means to be a national hero and they did not know Rizal being a reformist. Today, majority of
my fellow countrymen elected another Marcos, the son of a Dictator. As a youth hoping for
better government and progressive changes, it is frustrating. History and facts about Marcoses
are everywhere, the Filipinos just have to search for it. But it is saddened that they refuse facts
and continue to believe what they want to believe. It is hard to break the misinformation when it
is tenured in someone’s principles and beliefs. I conclude Filipinos just get modernized but they
never learned and did not change at all. We just accept what is given to us without knowing
what it is. what more if we try to inform them that Rizal should not be the national hero? their
response will probably sound like “he died for our country why he should not be the national
hero” or “he fought for our independence.” On the other hand, we should still try to inform them,
the Filipinos, about history, which is improving the education system for the next generation is
one of the keys to restore history, and programs to fight misinformation can be a big help too.

Reading my first paper about Guerrero’s The First Filipino makes me laugh and a little
embarrassed. I praised Rizal there because obviously he is good. But I feel betrayed, even
though I was not alive during his time, the fact that he refused to defend his motherland and let
his countrymen suffered in mistreatment by the colonizers makes him not worthy to be called as
a national hero. In addition, from my point of view, Rizal is a reformist because as a privileged
person, he was benefiting with the colonialism, he just wants to change the things that are not
good for him and his family. My views changed so quick, but I do not resent myself for believing
into that for a long time. I’m glad that I had the chance to be informed. I rather call it a character
development, and I hope Filipinos would have character development too.

From where I’m standing, If Rizal agreed to join the revolution his death would not be
that meaningless for me. At least he died as a revolutionary who had the guts to defend the
motherland, who refused to be colonized and fought for freedom, not a reformist who only wants
to change the things for people like him. He died tagged as a revolutionary anyway. Considering
Rizal intelligence, the Revolution might become more successful if Rizal was part of it. If Rizal
took part in the revolution, he will be worthy to be called as national hero. As a matter of course,
Rizal’s death was not completely meaningless and useless as it strengthened the movement
toward revolution. Outraged by the death of their hero, Filipinos rallied to the cause of
independence, starting the rebellion that would eventually end Spanish control of the Philippines
(Ravin, 2001).

In contrast, looking from Rizal point of view, principles, and beliefs, I agree that
revolution is barbaric and violent. However, it is the only way to end colonialism. Just like how
the Spaniard failed to colonize the Igorot tribes in the Northern Luzon. Out of 45 or known
Spanish expeditions sent to the mountains, all failed to colonize the Igorots (Scott, 1975). The
Spaniards refer to Igorots as hostile, lazy, barbaric, pagan, and cannibalistic (Aguilar-Cariño,
1994). They resisted the Spanish conquest. The Igorots struggled for their independence and
remained independent, not until the Americans invade us. I am saying submitting to the
colonizers and accepting to be colonized is the easiest way not to get harm and to reduce
chaos, but a cowardly and selfish act. People like Bonifacio who cannot stand injustices and
other mistreatment, revolt against the colonizer, and defend the motherland with his all. I’m not
saying Rizal turned a blind eye into injustices, in fact it inspired him to go against the Spanish
government and wanted a reformation. I therefore conclude, Rizal should not be our national
hero.

If Rizal should not be a national hero, then who? If I will be asked this question by
someone someday, I will answer what Constantino stated in his work, “The true hero is one with
the masses: he does not exist above them. In fact, a whole people can be heroes given the
proper motivation and articulation of their dreams.” Rizal is still a great person for me, I do not
resent him for being a reformist. I am still inspired by him; I still look up to him but not as a
national hero anymore. I just hope we, the Filipinos, could understand our history better. When
will we realize that our history is part of our present and future? Let us put effort to learn and
accept the fact. Let us not redo what our history warned us about.
 REFERENCES

Aguilar-Cariño, Ma. L. (1994). The Igorot as Other: Four Discourses from the Colonial Period.
Philippine Studies, 42(2), 194–209. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42633435

Constantino, R. (1970). Veneration Without Understanding.

Filipinas Heritage Library. (N.D.). Rizal’s stand on freedom.

Ravin, T. (2001). José Rizal Philippine National Hero and Ophthalmologist. JAMA Network.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/265463#:~:text=Jos%C3
%A9%20Rizal%20(1861%2D1896),execution%20by%20the%20Spanish%20colonizers.

Scott, W. H. (1970). Igorot Responses to Spanish Aims: 1576-1896. Philippine Studies, 18(4),
695–717. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42632084

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