Compilation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC. Chapter 1- Week 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSE RIZAL Lesson 1 Timeframe: 3 hours 2Objectives: At the end of this chapter, the students wll be able to: 4. Identify the reasons for studying the life and works of Jose Rizal 2 Trace the historical background of the creation of the Republic Act 1425. 3. Evaluate the different poltical sides (pros and cons) on the Creation of Republic Act 1425, Overview This topic focuses on the legal basis of why General Education Course 109, with the course title “Life and Works of Jose Rizal,” is a mandated subject for tertiary students. It will allow the students to examine and evaluate for themselves the importance of studying the life and works of Jose Rizal, PAbstractior WHO MADE JOSE RIZAL OUR FOREMOST NATIONAL HERO, AND WHY?! by Esteban A. de Ocampo Dr. Jose Rizal Mercado y Alonso, of simply Jose Rizal (1861- 1896), is unquestionably the greatest hero and martyr of our nation. The day of his birth and the day of his execution are fitingly commemorated by all classes of our people throughout the length and breadth of this country and even by Filipinos and their friends abroad. His name is a byword in every Filipino home while his picture adorns the postage stamp and paper money of widest Circulation. No other Filipino hero can surpass Rizal in the number of monuments erected in his honor; in the number of towns, barrios, and streets named after him; in the number of educational institutions, societies, and trade names that bear his name; in the number of persons, both Filipinos and foreigners, who were named Rizal" or "Rizalina” because of their parents’ admiration for the Great Malayan; and in the number of laws, Executive Orders and Proclamations of the Chief Executive, and bulletins, memoranda, and circulars of both the ‘bureaus of public and private schools. Who is the Filipino writer and thinker whose teachings ‘and noble thoughts have been frequently invoked and quoted by authors and public speakers on almost all occasions? None but Rizal. And why is this so? Because, as biographer Ratacl Palma said, “The doctrines of Rizal are not for one epoch but forall epochs. They are as valid today as they were yesterday. It cannot be said that because the political ideals of Rizal have been achieved, because of the change of institutions, the wisdom of his counsels ar the value of his doctrines have ceased to be opportune. They have not” Unfortunately, however, there are sill some Filipinos who entertain the belief that our Rizal is a "made-to-order" national hero, and that the maker or manufacturer in this case were the Americans, particularly Civil Governor Willain Howard Taft. This was done allegedly in the following manner: "Esteban A de Ocampo, “Who Made Jose Rizal Our Foremost National Hevo, and Why?" in Jase Rial: Life, Works, and Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist, and National Hero 2 Caition by Gregoria F.2aide and Sonia NM. Zaide (Quezan City All Nations Publishing Co, 2008), p. 271-86 Page | 1LURRR RR RRR RRR RE RRR RAS FomPllation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC "And now, gentlemen, you must have a national hera". These were supposed to wa the words addressed by Govemar Tat to Messrs. Pardo de Tavera, Logarda, and CHUMage, Filipino members ofthe Philppine Commission, af which Taft was the ratinan twas further reported that "inthe subsequent discussion in which the rival Cones St the revolutionary heroes (Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jose Rizal, feneral Antonio Luna, Emilio Jacinto, and Andres Bonifacio - 0.) were ALAS TeG: the final choice now universally acclaimed a wise one-was Riza. And so, history was made [This article will attempt to answer two questions: (1) Who made Rizal the foremost Proce here of the Phiippines? and (2) Why is Rizal our greatest national hero? Before p oo co answer these queries, it will be better if we first know the meaning of the term caro gcarding to Webster's New Internationa Dictionary of the English language. a here Ie Ales ea neNt OF central personage taking an admirable pat in any remarkable action or event™ fag "8 Berson of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger. oF foritude tv sullorng* And fly Ie. 'S “aman honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional service to mankind.” Why is Rizal a hero, nay, our foremost national hero He is our greatest hero because, 2s @ towering figure in the Propaganda Campaign, he took an ‘admirable part” in that movement which roughiy covered the period from 1862 to 1896. If we were asked to pick out 2 single work by @ Filipino writer during this era which, more than any other wrting, contributed [remendously to the formation of Filipino nationality, we shall have no hesitation in choosing Rizal's Noli Me Tangere (Berlin, 1887). It is true that Pedro A. Paterno published his novel Ninay, in Madrid in 1885; Marcelo H. del Pilar, his La Soberania Monacal in Barcelona in 1883; Graciano Lopez Jaena, his Discursos y Articulos Varias, also in Barcelona in 1891; and Antonio. Luna, his Impresiones in Madrid in 1893, but none of these books had evoked such favorable {and unfavorable comments from friends and foes alike as did Rizal's Nol. Typical of the encomiums that the hero received for his novel were those he received from Antonio Maria Regidor and Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt. Regidor, a Filipino exile of 1872 in London, said that “the book was superior” and that “if Don Quijote has made its author immortal because he exposed to the world the sufferings of Spain, your Noli Me Tangere will bring you equal glory... Blumentrit, after reading Rizal's Noli, wrote and congratulated its ‘author, saying among other things: "Your work, as we Germans say, has been written with the blood of the heart... Your work has exceeded my hopes and | consider myself happy to have been honored with your friendship. Not only, but also your country, may feel happy for having in you patriotic and loyal son. you continue so, you will be to your people one of those great men who will exercise a determinative influence over the progress of their spiritual life" If Rizal's friends and admirers praised with justifiable pride the Noli and its author, his enemies were equally loud and bitter in attacking and condemning the same. Perhaps no other work or writing of another Filipino author has, up to this day, aroused as much acrimonious debate not only among our people but also among the reactionary foreigners as the Noli of Rizal. In the Philippines, the hero's novel was attacked and condemned by a Faculty Committee ‘of a Manila university and by the Permanent Censorship Commission in 1887. The Committee said that it found the book “heretical, impious is, and scandalous to the religious order, and unpatriotic and subversive to public order, libelous to the Government of Spain and to its political polices in these Islands”, while the Commission recommended, “that the Importation, reproduction, and circulation of this pernicious book in the Islands be absolutely prohibited." Coming down to our time, during the Congressional discussions and heanngs on the Rizal {or Noli-Fill) bill in 1956, the proponents and opponents of the bill also engaged themselves in 2 Page | 2GomPllation of Readings in Lite and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC iter and lang-drawn-out debate that finaly resuiled in the enactment of a compromise ‘measure, now known as Republic Act No. 1425. a oe attacks on Rizat’ first novel were not only confined in the Philippines but were also Gs Pee ‘he Spanish capital, There, Senator Fernando Vida, Deputy (and ‘ex-General) Luis M. and critica aeegNer Praxedes Mateo Sagosta were among those who unjustly lambasted this commend Rizal and his Noll in the two chambers of the Spanish Cortes in 1888 and 1869, Cooper oF 2 learn, however, that about thirieen years later, Congressman Henry Allen cram consin delivered @ eulogy of Rizal and even recited the marty’s Ultimo Pensamiento on the floor ofthe Unted Sates House of Reprosentavesin onder ove tre patty Cl the Filpinos for self-government. He said in part: “lt has been said tha, f Amencan Washn’ nas dane nothing else than fumish to the world the character of George wea en, that alone would entitle them to the respect of mankind So, S| sy tl ose who denounce the Filipinos indiscriminately as barbarians and savages, without osstily a 2 Giulzed future, that this despised race proved itself entitled to their respect and to the tre cet ol mankind when it umished to the world the character of Jase Rizal” The resuit of this appeal of Representative Cooper was the approval of what is popularly known ac the Philippine Bill of 1902. The preceding paragraphs have shown that by the Noll alone Rizal, among his Rantemporaries, had become the most prominent or the central figure of the Propaganda fovement. ‘Again, we ask the question: Why did Rizal become the greatest Filipino hero? Because in this wniter’s humble opinion. no Filipino has yet been born who could equal or surpass Rizal 35 “a person of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, of fortitude in suffering * OF these "waits of our hero, let us see what a Fillpino and an American biographer said “What is most admirable in Rizal,” wrote Rafael Palma, “is his complete self-denial, his complete abandonment of his personal intorests in order to think only of those of is country. He could have been whatever he wished to be, considering his natural endowments; he could have eamed considerable sums of money from his profession: he could have lived relatively rich, happy, and prosperous, had he not dedicated himself to ‘ublic matters. But in him, the voice ofthe species was stronger than the voice of personal progress or of private fortune, and he preferred to live far trom his family, and to sacrifice his personal affections for an ideal he had dreamed of. He heeded nat his brother, not even his parents, beings whom he respected and venerated so much, in order to follow the road his conscience had traced for him, “He did not have great means at his disposal to carryout his campaign, but that 4d not discourage him; he contented himsol wah what he had. He sulfored the rigors of the cold winter of Europe, he suflered hunger, pavation. and misery, but when he raced his eyes to heaven and saw his ideal, his hope was reborn. He complained of his Countryman, he complained of some of those who had promised him help and di not help him, unt at times, profoundly dsilusioned, he wanted to renounce hs campaign forever, giving up everything. But such moments were evanescent, he soon felt comforted and resumed the task of bearing the cross of his suttering’™ Dr. Frank C. Laubach, an American biographer of Rizal, spoke of the hero's courage in the following words: “His consuming life purpose was the secret of his moral courage. Physical courage, itis tue, was one of his inherited traits, But that high courage to die loving his murderers, Which he at last achieved, that cannot be inherited. it must be forged aut in the fires of ssutfering and temptation. As we read through his ile, we can sce how the moral sinew and Page |3Fomplation of Readings in Lite and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC Trew yearby year ashe faced new pers and was forced to make fearu decisions Ventura 19 2urage 1 wie his two great novels, tling nothing that no othor man had County are eto, standing almost alone agains! the most pawl interests in his Toast a SbaPs and knowing full well that despotism woud stnke back He had be open het fier plateau of heroism whan he wrote those ltrs in Hongkong. "To ine Dona C7.TY deat,” and sailed into he “rap in Mania without any isons. Then Of tes for agen the He Was tempted to escape, an sad "No’ nol ance ut hundreds to step of ne on YE2Ps and when onthe way to Cuba, Pedro Roxas pleaded wah im ita have oo Ot Singapore upon Bish terntory and save his ie, whal nner struggle of death any gat32d him to answer over and over again. “No, no, noF When the sentenee he walked wile of execution rghit nas, December 3, 8, figure in that sora Cat 1 te erg ne as though by hs own chase, he any here | To the bigoted ‘Spaniards in Spain and in the Philippines, Rizal was the most intelligent, © cheat azeAu®, and most dangerous enemy ofthe reactionaries andthe tyrants; therercre Te, shoud be shot publicly in order to serve a an example and a warning to oneal hg This was the reason why Rizal. after a brief mack tnal, was sentenced to death and made to eae ‘Squad at Bagumbayan Field, now the Luneta, in the early morning of December ‘And for the third and last ime, we repeat the question: Why is Rizal the greatest Filpino hero that ever lived? Because he is “a man honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional service to mankind”. We can say that even before his execution, Rizal was already acclaimed by both Filipinos and foreigners as the foremost leader of his people. Writing from Barcelona to the Great Malayan on March 10, 1889, Marcelo H. del Plar said: "Rial no tiene an derecho 4 morir: su nombre. consttuye la mas pura é inmaculada bandera de @spiraciones y Plaridel y los suyos no son olra cosa mas que unos voluntarios que militan bajo esa bandera.” Fernando Acevedo, who called Rizal his “distinguido amigo, companero y Paisano", wrote the latter from Zaragoza. Spain, on October 25, 1889: I see in you the model Filipino: your application to study and your talents have placed on a height which | revere and admire.” The Bicolano Dr. Tomas Aréjola wrote Rizal in Madrid, February 9, 1881, saying “Your mora influence over us is indisputable” And Guillermo Puatu of Bulacan wrote this tute to Rizal, saying: "Vd. a quien se le puede (lamar) con razon, cabeza tutelar de los fiipinos, aunque la comparacion parezca algo ridicula, porque pasee la virud de atraer consigo enconadas voluntades, zarjar las discordias y enemistades rencorosas,reuni en fiestas a hombres que no querian verse nen la calle. ‘Among the foreigners who recognized Rizal as the leading Filipino of his time were Slumentritt, Napoleon M. Khel, Dr. Reinhold Rost, and Vicente Barrantes, Prof. Blumenrit old Dr. Maximo Viola in May, 1887 that "Rizal was the greatest product of the Philipines and that his coming to the world was ike the appearance ofa rare comet, whose rare biliance appears only every other century. Napoleon M. Kheil of Prague, Austria, wrote to Rizal and said: "admiro en Va. 4 un noble representante de la Espa colonial." Dr. Rost, distinguished Malayologist and Librarian of the India Office in London, called Rizal "una perla de hombre'-* while Don Vicente Barrantes had to adiit that Rizal was “the first among the Filipinos”. Even before the outbreak of the Revolution against Spain in 1896, many instances can bee cited to prove that his countrymen here and abroad recognized Rizal's leadership. In the early part of 1889 he was unanimously elected by the Filpino in Barcelona and Madd 2s honorary president of the La Solidaridad.” Some months later, in Paris, he organized and became chief of the Indios Bravos. In January, 1891, Rizal was again unanimously chosen Responsable (Chief) of the Spanish-Filipino Association. He was also the founder and moving spint in the founding of the Liga Filipina in Manila on July 3, 1892. Pope | 4Famelation of Readings in Lite and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 108) History Department, MSU-GSC ChnowstOYy lls us that the revolutionary society known a6 the Katipunan likewise Using e302 Riza leadership and greatness by making him ts Honoran Present aoa by ing his family name Rizal as the password for the third-degree members. chiefs cnet ater Rizars execution, General Emiko Aguinaldo and the other revolutionary the coset! '2 Hongkong held a commemorative program there on Decomtar 29, 1897 on occasion of the first anniversary ofthe hero's exeention and martyrdom an Of utmost significance in the public's appreciation for Rizal's patriotic labors in behalf ming, ohle were the tributes paid by the Revolutionary Government to he memory. In his Presse neaaress at the Congress assembled at Maloloe Bulacan September 15, 1898, President Agunaldo invoked the spins of the departed hone cp Fatherland, thus PEROYS SPs of RIZAL, Lope? Jaana, of Marcelo del Par August shades of Burgos, Pelez, and Panganiban! Wake geniuses of Agunatc [eros ), and Tirona, of Natwadad and Evangetstal Arse a mament ram your unknawn gravest pyre on December 20, 1898 at the revolutionary captal at Malolos, President Aguinaldo issued the frst oficial proclamation making December 40 that year a5 Rizal Day’. ‘The same proclamation ordered the hoisting of the Filme fags at halos ston toa on December 28 to 12:00 noon on December 30, 1898" and the closing of “sh oflece of ne Seer ent” during the whole day of December 302 Actually, an impressive Rizal Day Program, sponsored by the Club Filipino, was held in Manila on December 30, 1898.22, It should further be noted that both the La Independencia, edited by Gen, Antonio Luna, and the El Heraldo de la Revalucion, offical organ of the Revolutionary Government ‘ssued al special supplement in honor of Rizal in one of their December issues in 1898. Two of the greatest Filipino poets in the Spanish language paid glowing tributes to the Martyr of Bagumbayan in acknowledgment of the hero's labors and sacrifices for his people, Fernando Ma, Guerrero wrote on September 25, 1898, thus: "No has muerto, no. La glona es tu destino, {u corona, los fveqos de la aurora, Y tu inviolable altar nuestra conciencla.” ‘And Cecilio Apostol, on December 30 of the same year, wrote these lines: uermne en paz en las sombras de la nada. Redentor de una Patria esclavizadal !No llores de la tumba en el misterio Dol espanol el triunfo momentineo: ‘Que si una bala destrozé tu craneo, También tu idea destrozo un emperio!” The Filipinos were not alone in grieving the untimely death of their hero and idol, for the intellectual and scientific circles of the world felt keenly the loss of Rizal, who was their esteemed colleague and friend. Dr. Camilo Osias and Wenceslao E. Retana both spoke of the universal homage accorded to Rizal immediately after his death. Dr. Osias vrote thus: Expressions of deep sympathy came from Blumentrit and many others such as Or. Renward Braustetter of Lucerne, a scholar an things Malay, Or. Feodar Jagor, a German ‘author of Philippine Travels: Dr. Friedrich Ratzel, an eminent German geographer and Page |SFmellation of Readings in Lite and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 108) History Department, MSU-GSC AT Beane Seftor Ricardo Palma, a distinguished man of leters ram Peru; Professor Monnens Force ofthe Ethnographic Muscumn of Munich and a nated Malayologt Phiippiog camer! Planchut, a French Onentas, author of varus works and vee on Unnvereny Subjects: Or. W. Jost. eminent German geographer and Professor at the Celebrated a ecttt® OF. H: Kem, Profossor af Sarskit in the University of Lenn ard Srthropstges ntY On Malay flats; Dr. J. Montano, a distinguished French ingust ara Univers ytd author of a Memoria on the Philippines: Dr. F. Mueller, Professor o tho D.Teenk Wit 2nd 2 Great philogst a noted Dutch Merary woman who signed fi Witich, writer nj ult 98 touching and conscientious biography of Riz Here Manned Cam nna at, Or Bers, Catan Polio eader: Dr. Boetgr, a noted rector a Matt and author of works on the fauna of the Philppnes. Drea, Bhs Caer ne Museum of Ettnography of Dresden and erent Pronan ete peneerchen of Leig. Decor of LExpess, a newspaper wharen De Rick ono anes caranee in Gorman of Rate ty Lact Forue Me ih B eur ilshes Enalsh witer: Me. John Foreman, author of works onthe Paiva os cane pms German naturals Dr H. Sapo a Swocth sant who wee won Armand Lehin- ant. Astin engner and wer Dra Wer author of works on the Philippines and Or. zal. ‘cal Society of Berlin on November 20, 1897, at the initiative of fesident, was the most important and significant, Dr. Ed Seler recited {the German translation of Rizat's "My Last Farewell" on that occazion, The newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals throughout the civilzed world:in Germany, Austria, France, Holland, London, the United States, Japan, Hongkong, Maceo, Singapore. Switzerland. and in Latin American countries-publshed accounle ot Rial, ‘martyrdom in order to render homage to his greatness. Did the Americans, especially Governor William H. Taft, really choose Rizal out of Several Filipino patriots as the Number One Hero of his people? Nothing could be farther from the truth. In the preceding pages, we have shown beyond the shadow of a doula that the Great ‘slayan, by his own efforts and sacrifices for his oppressed counirymen, had projected himself as the foremost leader of the Philippines until the moment of his immolation: and this fact was spontaneously acknowledged not only by his own people but also by the elite of other lands who intimately knew his patriotic labors. We have likewise shown that Immediately after his execution, his own people had justly acclaimed him as their foremost hero and mariyr The intellectual and scientific world, as we have also demonstrated, was not slow in according himn Signal honors as a hero of humanity and as an Apostole of Freedom. Mr. Taft, as Chairman of the Second Philippine Commission, arrived in the Philippines In June, 1909. This Commission began its legislative functions on September 4st of the same. year. On June 11 of the ensuing year the Philippine Commission approved Act No. 137, which ‘organized "the politico-miltary district of Morong" into the “Province of Rizal", This was the FIRST OFFICIAL STEP taken by the Taft Commission to honor our greatest hero and marty It should be borne in mind that SIX DAYS before the passage of Act No. 137, the Taft ‘Commission held @ meeting at the town of Pasig for the purpose of organizing the province. In that meeting attended by the leading citizens of both Manila and Morong, a plan was presented to combine the two districts into one, but this proposal met with determined and vigorous objection from the leaders of Morong, At this point” reads the ‘Minutes of Proceedings of the Taft Commission, “Dr. Tavera, ofthe Federal Party. who accompanied the Commission, asked that he might make «a suggestion wth reference to the proposed union of Mania and Marong provinces I wna Page | 6Compilation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC his opinion that in case of union neither the name af Morong nor Manila ought to be Fotained. He than stated the custom which prevailed in the United States and other countries of naming important locales ar dstnicts in memory of some lustrous citizen of the country. In line with this he suggested that the united provinces be named ‘Riza, in memory and in honor of the most illustrious Filipino and the most illustrious Tagalog the Islands had ever known, The President (Willa H, Taft ©.) stated that the Commission, not tess than the Filpinos, felt proud to do honor to the name of Riza, andif, afer consideration, it decided to unite the provinces, it would have pleasure, f such action met the desires of the people, n giving the new province the name of Riza (talics supplied) {tis obvious then that the idea of naming the district of Morong after Rizal came from Dr. Pardo de Tavera, a Filpino, and not from Judge Taft, an American. Itis interesting to know that two countrymen of Mr. Tatt-Justice George A. Malcolm and Dr. Frank C. Laubach - who both resided in the Philippines for many years and who were very familiar withthe history and lives of great Filipinos do not subscribe to the view that Jose Rizal is an American-made hero. Jusice Malcolm had this to say: In those early days (of the American occupation- 0), it was bruited about that the ‘Americans had ‘made’ Rizal a hero to serve their purposes. That was indeed a sinister interpretation of voluntary American action designed to pay tbute to a great man.” Dr. Laubach’s view about the question is as follows: The tradition that every American hears when he reaches the Philippine Islands is that Wiliam Howard Tat, feeling thatthe Filipinas needed 3 hero, made one out of Rizal We trust that this book (Riza: Man and Martyr- 0.) wil serve to show how empty that statement is. It speaks well for Taft that he was suficiently free from racial prejudice to appreciate in some measure the stalure ofa great Filipino. was 2 Spaniard wha did more than any other to save Rizal fer posterity -Retana, whose work (Vida y Escros de! Dr. Jase Rizal, Madrid, 1907-0.) is by far the most complete and scholarly that we have (in 1935- (0). Like Rizal, he lost all his money in the cause of the Filipinos, and died @ poor man Granting for the sake of argument that the Taft Commission chose Rizal out of several great Filipinos as the Number One hero of his peopie, stil we can say that what the Commission did was merely to confirm a sort of a fait accompli, and that was that ‘Jose Rizal had already bean acclaimed by his countrymen and the scientific world as the foremost hero and martyr of the land of his birth. Nay, we can go even farther and concur with Prof. Blumentritt, who said in 1897: Not only is Rizal THE MOST PROMINENT MAN OF HIS OWN PEOPLE but THE GREATEST MAN THE MALAYAN RACE HAS PRODUCED. His memory will never perish in his fatherland, and future generations of Spaniards will yet learn to utter his name with respect and reverence.” (Capitalization supped) Perhaps the following quotation from the late Willan Cameron Forbes, an ardent ‘admirer of Rizal and the Governor-General of the Philippines during the construction of the Rizal Mausoleum on the Luneta, 's appropriate at this point. He said: itis eminently proper that Rizal should have become the acknowledged national hero ofthe Philippine people The Amoricon administration has lant every assistance to this recognition, setting aside the anniversary of his death to be a day of observance, placing ts prctre on the postage stamp most commonly used in the Islands, and on the currency. ‘cooperating with the Filipinas in making the site of his school in Dapitan a national park, Snd encouraging the erection by public subscription of 2 monument in his honor on the Luneta in Manila near the place where he met his death. One of the longest and most Page | 7Compilation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC_ importart streets n Maria has been named in is memory-Rial Avenue. The Filipinos in ‘many citos and towns have erected mannan fo his ame, and throughout the Islands {the public schools teach the young Filipinas to revere his memory as the greatest of Filipano patriots." tales suppl) Now and then we come across some Filipinos who venture the opinion that Andres Bonifacio, and not Jose Rizal, deserves. to be acknowledged and canonized as our first national hero. They maintain that Rizal never held a gun, a rifle, or a sword in fighting for the liberty and independence of our country in the battlefield. They further assert that while the foremost national heroes of other countries are soldier-generals, like George Washington of the United States of America, Napoleon | and Joan of Arc of France, Simon Bolivar of ‘Venezuela, Jose de San Martin of Argentina, Bernardo O'Higgins of Chile, Jimmu Tenno of Japan, etc., our greatest hero was a pacifist and a civilian whose weapon was his quill. However, our people in exercising their good sense, independent judgment, and unusual discernment, have not followed the examples of other nations in selecting and acknowledging a military leader for their greatest hero. Rafael Palma has very well stated the case of Rizal versus Bonifacio in these words: It should be a source of pride and satisfaction tothe Filipinos to have among their national heroes one of such excellent qualities and merits which may be equaled but not ‘surpassed by any other man. Whereas generally, the heroes of occidental nations are warriors and generals who serve their cause with the sword, dstiling blood and tears, the hero ofthe Filipinos served his cause with the pen, demonstrating thal the pen is as mighty 1s the sword to redeem a people from their politcal slavery. Its true that in our case the ‘sword of Bonifacio was after all needed to shake olf the yoke of a foreign power, but the revolution prepared by Bonifacio was only the effec, the consequence of the spiritual redemption wrought by the pen of Rizal. Hence, not only in chronological order but also in point of imporiance the previous work of Rizal seems to us superior to that of Bonifacio, because although that of Bonifacio was of immediate results, that of Rizal will have more durable and permanent effects." ‘And let us note further what other great men said about the pen being mightier and more powerful than the sword. Napoleon I himself, who was a great conqueror and ruler, said! “There are only two powers in the word, the sword and the pen; and in the end the former is always conquered by the latter’. The following statement of Sir Thomas Browne is more ‘applicable to the role played by Rizal in our libertarian struggle: "Scholars are men of peace; they bear no arms; but their tongues are sharper than the sword; their pens carry further and tive a louder report than thunder. | had rather stand in the shock of a basilisk than in the fury fof a merciless pen”.35 And finally, let us quote from Bulwer: "Take away the sword: states can bbe saved without it; bring the pen! For those who may still doubt and question the fact that Rizal is greater, far greater than Bonifacio, or any other Filpino hero, the following observation made by Retana will be sulficient ‘Todos los paises tienen su idolo mas ninguna tiene un mayor idolo, que Filipinas, ‘Antes desaparecerd de los Estados Unidos y ya es decir la memoria de Washington, que de Filipinas la memona de RIZAL. No fu8 RIZAL, como médico, un Mariani, ni como dibujante un Gustavo Dore, ni como poeta un Goethe, ni como antropdlogo un Virchow, ni como etnografo un Ralzel, ni como fiipinista un Blumentrit, i como historiador un ‘Macaulay, ni como pensadar un Hervas, ni como malayélogo un Kern, ni como flosofo un Descartes, ni como novelista un Zola, ni como Iiterato un Menéndez y Pelayo, ni como fescultor un Queral, ni como yodgrafo un Reclus, ni como tradar un Pin, Distinguidse en muchas disciplinas: pero en ninguna de ellas alcanz6 ese grado supremo que asegura la Page | 8Faarblation of Readings in Lite and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 108) History. Department, MSU-GSC toe yi: Fu patriot; fud marti dl amar & su pais. Peru en el caso de RIZAL hay SoneutitO® ¥ 4en us consiste que RIZAL esti miles do cudos sobro tone cllos? en mente, ona naa exquta ds expints, en la noblensuotoecn descr Toran oe HG to, romanica, sofadora, buena, adorable, pslaloia go one ang Imnenapent™enios y aspraciones da un puta que sufia, Wéndese ding de Cama ey BfOb0%0.. EL espirty dela Revolucion tana ejzte por ete cals hee Fue, ue da onde, el raz0anmado de aquel mowmiento Andres Bonar he rear omoe cots emer gro contra tran el que sea las prime Noss }que munis on ache... ¥ & ese hombre apenas’ se le reevendat nae aantmerlided de RIZAL esti asegurada de cien maneras. Pero como ide Y beberan cant’ Porauo ls millones de fipnos de hoy de mafana y de serine babes Y beberan espirtu de RIZAL; no se nutten de otra cov act nes Produced’. We have also shown that even during hs Ielime, Ris! wee already acelaimed by both Fiipinos and foreigners asthe foremost leader of hs people sed trate {dmration for him has increased with the passing of time since his dramatic death co re _unela that fateful moming of December 30, 1896. Likewise, we attempted to dietrovs the Glmamade by some quarters hat Rizalis an American-made hero, and we also Wed lo uaa ‘hy Rizal is greater than any other Filipino hero, including Andres Bonifacio, ‘Who made Rizal the foremost hero of the Phiippines? The answer is: no single person OF groups of persons were responsible for making the Greatest Malayan the Number One Hero of his people. Rizal himself, his own people, and the foreigners altogether contributed to make fit the greatest hero and martyr of his people. No amount of adulation and canonization by both Filipinas and foreigners could convert Riza into a great hero if he did not possess i» himself what Palma calls “excellent qualities and merits” or what Retana spoke of “la finura exquisita de su espintu la nobleza quijotesca de su corazon... su psicologia toda, romantica, softadora, buena, adorable, psicologia que sinteliz6 todos los sentimientos y aspiraciones 36 lun pueblo que sufria, viéndose victima de su regimer oprobioso..." Veneration Without Understanding? Renato Constantino Im the histories of many nations, the national revolution represents @ peak of achievement to which the minds of men return time and again in reverence and for a renewal Of faith in freedom. For the national revolution is invariably the one period ina nation's history when the people were most united, most involved, and most decisively active in the fight for freedom. tis not to be wondered at, therefore, that almost always the leader of that revolution becomes the principal hero of his people. There is Washington for the United States, Lenin tor the Soviet Union, Bolivar for Latin America, Sun Yat-Sen, then Mao Tse-Tung for China and 2 Renato Constantino, Veneration Without Understanding, Third National Rizal Lecture (Manil Notional Historical Commissin: 1969), 3-30. Poge | 9Compilation of Readings in Lite and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC. Ho Chi Minh for Vietnam. The unity between the venerated mass action and the honoured ‘ingle individual enhances the influence of both. 'n our case, our national hero was not the leader of our Revolution. In fact, he ‘epudiated that revolution. In no uncertain terms he places himself against Bonifacio and those Fllpinos who were fighting for the country’s liberty. In fact, when he was arrested, he was on his way to Cuba to use his medical skills in the service of Spain. And in the manifesto of December 15, 1896 which he addressed to the Fillpino people, he declared: From the very beginning, wien I first had notice of what was being planned, | ‘2pposed it, | ought it, and demonstrated its absolute impossibly. {did even more. When later, against my advice, the movement inaterialzed, of my own accord | offered not alone my good offices, but my very life, and even my name, {0 be used in whatever way might seem best, towards stifing the rebellion; for convinced of the ills which it could bang, | considered myself fortunate if, at any sacrifice, I could Drevent such useless misfortunes. { have writlen also (and { repeat my words) that reforms, to be beneficial, must come ftom above, and thase which come from below are ‘eregularly gained and uncertain, Holding these ideas, | cannot do less than condemn, and | do condemn this, Uprising ~ as absurb, savage, and plotted behind my back ~ which dishonors us Filipinos and discredits those that could plead our cause. | abhor ts cnminal methods and disclairn all part init, ptying from the boitom of my heart the unwary that have been deceived into taking part init Rizal and the Revolution Rizal's refusal to align himself with the revolutionary forces and his vehement condemnation of the mass movement and ofits lesders, have placed Filipinos in a dilemma. Either the Revolution was wrang, yet we cannot disown it, or Rizal was wrong, yet we cannot disown him either. By and large, we have chosen to ignore this apparent contradiction. Rizalists, especially, have taken the easy way out, which is to gloss over the matter. They have treated Rizal's condemnation of the Katipunan as a skeleton in his closet and have been responsible for the “silent treatment” on his unequivocal position against the Revolution. To my knowledge, there has been no extensive analysis of this question. For some Rizaliss, this aspect of Rizal has been a source of embarrassment inasmuch as they picture him as the supreme symbol of our struggle for freedom. In fact, others privately agree with his stand 3s evidenced by their emphasis on the gradualism of Rizal's teachings, particulary his, insistence on the primacy of education. They would praise Rizal's stand against the Revolution, if they dared. Since they do not dare for themselves, they are also prudently silent for Rizal's sake, Others, careless and superficial in their approach to history and perhaps afraid to stir a hornets nest of controversy, do not think it important to dwell on this contradiction between ‘our Revolution and our national hero and elect to leave well enough alone. Perhaps they do not perceive the adverse consequences of our refusal to analyze and resolve this ‘contradiction. Yet the consequences are manifest in our regard for our Revolution and in our understanding of Rizal The Philippine Revolution has always been overshadowed by the omnipresent figure and the towering reputation of Rizal. Because Rizal took no part in that Revolution and in fact repudiated it, the general regard for our Revolution is not a high as it should be, On the other hand, because we refuse to analyze the significance of his repudiation, our understanding of Rizal and of his role in our national development remains superficial. This is a disservice to the event, to the man, and to ourselves. Page | 10FemPlation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) "story Department, MSU-GSC tae eee Superfically, Rizal's reaction toward the Revolution is unexpected, coming as Of his countrys ao®® life and labors were supposed to have been dedicated to the cause he Would have bosom Had someone of lesser stature uttered those words of condemnation, treasonous im the hare acre @ traitor to the cause, As a matter of fac, those words were \Which really synthecnc the Filipinos struggle against Spain. Rizal repudiated the one act leader. Such om son 200 OUF nationalist aspirations, and yet we consider him a nationalist those who active alsa! has dangerous implications because it can be used to exculpate vely betrayed the Revolution and may serve to diminish the ardor of those who today may be called upon th Indert complete to support anot tional takin let Pala “ pp 'ef great nationalist undertaking to complete the ‘An American-Sponsored Hero We have magnified Rizal's role t fi (0 such an extent that we have lost our sense of Frerean Oh and relegated toa subordinate postion our other great men and the historic events ich they took part. Although Rizal was already a revered figure and became more so after Sccouraging a Rizal cult, on the other, that of minimizing the importance of other heroes or even of vilying them. There is no question that Rizal had the qualities of greatness. History Gannot deny his patriotism. He was a martyr to oppression, obscurantism and bigotry, His Gramatic death captured the imagination of our people, Stil, we must accept the fact that his formal designation as our national hero, his elevation ta his present eminence so far above all other heroes was abetted and encouraged by the Americans. 't was Governor Wiliam Howard Taft who in 1901 suggested to the Philippine Commission that the Filipinos be given a national hero. The Free Press of December 8, 1946, Gives this account of a meeting of the Philippine Commission: “And now, gentlemen, you must have a national hers.” In these fateful words, ‘addressed by then Cl Govemor W.H. Taft the Filipina members athe cil commission, Pardo de Tavera, Legarda, and Luzuriaga, lay the ganesis of Rizal day. {Inthe subsequent discussion in which the rival merits ofthe revolutionary heroes Were considered, the final choice ~ now universally acclaimed a wise one ~ was Rizal. And 0 was history made. Theodore Friend in his book, Between Two Empires, says that Taft *with other ‘American colonial officials and some conservative Filipinos, chose him (Rizal) 2s a model hero ‘over other contestants — Aguinaldo too militant, Bonifacio too radical, Mabini unregenerate."! This decision to sponsor Rizal was implemented with the passage of the following Acts of the Philip-pine Commission: (1) Act No. 137 which organized the pollico-miltary district of Morong ‘and named it the province of Rizal “in honor of the most illustrious Filipino and the most illustrious Tagalog the islands have ever known," (2) Act No. 243 which authorized a public ‘subscription forthe erection of a monument in honor of Rizal at the Luneta and (3) Act No. 345 ‘which set aside the anniversary of his death as a day of observance. ‘This early example of American “aia” is summarized by Governor W. Cameron Forbes who wrote in his book, The Philip-pine Islands: It fs eminently proper that Rizal should have became the acknowledged national hero of the Philippine people. The American administration has lent every assistance to this recognition, setting aside the anniversary of his death to be a day of observance, placing his picture on the postage stamp most commonly used inthe islands, and on the Page | 11Compilation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC ccurrency..and throughout the islands the public schools teach the young Filpinos to revere hus memory asthe greatost af Filpno patriots (Underscoring supped The reason for the enthusiastic American attitude becomes clear in the following appraisal of Rizal by Forbes: Rizal never advocated independence, nor did he advocate armed resistance to the government. He urged reform trom within by publicity, by public education, and appeal to the public conscience. (Unvlerscoring supplied) Taf’s appreciation for Rizal has much the same basis, as evidenced by his calling Rizal “the ‘greatest Filipino, a physician, a novelist and a poet (who) because of his struggle for 4 betterment of conditions under Spanish rule, was unjustly convicted and shot..." ‘The public image that the Americans desired fora Filipino national hero was quite clear. They favored a hero who would not run against the grain of American colonial policy. We Must {ake those acts of the Americans in furtherance of a Rizal Cul in the light oftheir initial policies Which required the passage of the Sedition Law prohibiting the advocacy of independence and the law prohibiting the display of the Filipino flag. The heroes who advocated independence were therefore ignored. For to have encouraged 2 movement to revere Bonifacio or Mabini would not have been consistent with American Colonial policy. ‘Several factors contributed to Rizal's acceptability to the Americans as the official hero Of the Filipinos. In the first place, he was safely dead by the time the Americans began their aggression. No embarrassing anti-American quotations could ever be attributed to him. Moreover, Rizal's dramatic martyrdom had already made him the symbol of Spanish oppression. To focus attention on him would serve not only to Concentrate Filipino hatred against the erstwhile oppressors, it would also blunt their feelings of animosity toward the new conquerors against whom there was stil organized resistance at that time. His choice was a master stroke by the Americans. The honors bestowed on Rizal were naturally appreciated by the Filipinos who were proud of him. ‘At the same time, the attention lavished on Rizal Relegated other heroes to the background — heroes whose revolutionary example and anti-American pronouncements might have stiffened Filipino resistance to the new conquerors. The Americans particularly emphasized the fact that Rizal was a reformer, not a Separatist. He could therefore not be invoked on the question of Philippine independence. He could not be a rallying point in the resistance against the invaders. t must also be remembered that the Filipino members of the Philippine Commission were conservative ilustrados. The Amencans regarded Rizal as belonging to this class. This was, therefore, one more point in his favor. Rizal belonged to the right social class — the class that they were cultivating and building up for leadership. It may be argued that, faced with the humiliation of a second colonization, we as a people felt the need for 2 superhero to bolster the national ego and we therefore allowed ourselves to be propagandized in favor of one acceptable to the colonizer. Be that as it may, certainly it is now time for us to view Rizal with more rationality and with more historicity, This need not alarm anyone but the blind worshipper. Rizal wil stil occupy @ good position in our national pantheon even if we discard hagiolatry and subject him to a more mature historical evaluation. ‘A proper understanding of our history is very important to us because it will serve to demonstrate how our present has been distorted by a faulty knowledge of our past. By Unravelling the past we become confronted with the present already as future. Such a re. Page | 12Compilation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 108) History Department, MSU-GSC evaluation may result n a downgrading of some heroes and even a discarding of thers. Cannot spare even Rizal. The exposure of his weaknesses and limitations will also mean our Uiberation, for he has, to a certain extent, become part of the superstructure that supports present consciousness. That is why a critical evaluation of Rizal cannot but lead to a revision ‘of our understanding of history and the role of the individual in history ‘Orthodox historians have presented history as a succession of exploits of eminent Personalities, leading many of us to regard history as the product of gfe individuals. This tendency is strongly noticeable in those who have tried of late to manufacture new heroes through press releases, by the creation of foundations, or by the proclamation of centennial celebrations, Though such tactics may succeed for a limited period, they cannot insure immortality where there exists no solid basis for it. In the case of Rizal, while he was favored by colonial support and became good copy for propagandists, he had the qualifications to assure his immorality. It must be admitted, however, that the study of his Ife and works has eveloped into a cult distorting the role and the place of Rizal in our history. The uncritical atitude of his cutists has been greatly responsible for transforming biographers into hagiographers. His weaknesses and errors have been subtly underplayed ‘and his virtues grossly exaggerated. in this connection, one might ask V the question, what Would have happened if Rizal had not been executed in December of 1896? Would the course of the Philip-pine Revolution have been different? This poses the question of the role of the individual in history. Was this historical phase of our libertanian struggle due to Rizal? Did the propagandists of the 19th century create the period or were they created by the period? The Role of Heroes With or without these specific individuals, the social retations engendered by Spanish colonialism and the subsequent economic development of the country would have produced the nationalist movement. Without Rizal there would have developed other talents. Without del Pilar another propagandist would have emerged. That R'zal possessed a particular talent which influenced the style of the period was accidental. That he was executed on December 30 only added more drama to the events of the period. If there had been no Rizal, another type of talent would have appeared who might have given a different style tothe historic struggle; but the general trend engendered by the particular social relations would have remained the same. Without Rizal there may have been a delay inthe maturation of our libertarian struggle, but the economic development ofthe period would have insured the same result. Rizal may have accelerated ft Rizal may have given form end aticulation and color to the aspirations of the people, Bul even vithout him, the nationalist struggle would have ensued. This is ike-wise true in the case of present-day national liberation movements. The fundamental cause of mass dotion is nat the utterances of @ leader, rather, these leaders have been impelled to action by historical forces unleashed by socal development. We must therefore not fal nto the error of projecting the role ofthe individual tothe extent of denying the play ofthese forces as well as, the creative energies of the people who are the true makers oftheir own history Because Rizal had certain qualities, he was able to serve the pressing social needs of the period, needs that arose out of general and particular historical forces. He is a hero in the sense that he was able to see the problems generated by historical forces, discern the new Sotial needs created by the historical development of new social relationships. and take an ‘tive part in meeting these needs. But he is not a hero in the sense that the Revolution broke ut despite his refusal to lead it and continued despite his condemnation of it. Rizal served his ‘people by consciously articulating the unconscious course of events. He saw more clearly than his contemporaries and felt with more intensity the problems of his country, though his Page | 13Compilation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC Viewpoint was delimited by his particular status and upbringing. He was the firs Fino but he was only a limited Filipino, the ilustrado Filipino who fought for national unity but feared the Revolution and loved his mother country yes, but in his own dustrado way. Though we assert that the general course of history s not directed by the desires or 'deas of particular men, we must not fall into the error of thinking that because history can Proceed independently of individuals it can proceed independently of men. The fact is that history is made by men who confrant the problems of social progress and try to solve them in ‘accordance with the historic conditions of their epoch. They set their tasks in conformity with the given conditions of their times. The closer the correspondence between a man's Perception of reality and realty itself, the greater the man. The deeper his commitment to the people's cause in his own time as evidenced by hislife and deeds, the more heroic he becomes 88 a leader of men. Hence, for a deeper understanding and @ more precise evaluation of Rizal a8 Filipino and as hero, we must examine at some length the period during which Rizal lived. Innovation and Change Rizal lived in a period of great economic changes. These were inevitably accompanied by cultural and political ferment. The country was undergoing grave and deep alterations which resulted in a national awakening, The English occupation of the country, the end of the galleon trade, and the Latin American revolutions of that time were all factors which led to an economic rethinking by liberal Spanish officials. The establishment of non-Hispanic ‘commercial houses broke the insular belt that had circumscribed Philippine life for almost two centuries and a half. The middle of the 19th century saw 51 shipping and commercial houses in Manila, 12 of which were American and non-Hispanic European. These non-Spanish houses practically monopolized the import-expont trade. The opening of the ports of Sual, Cebu, Zamboanga, Legazpi and Tacloban, all during the second half of the 19th century, enabled these non-Spanish interests to establish branches beyond the capital city, thus further increasing cosmopolitan penetration.” European and American financing were vital agents in the emerging export economy. Merchants gave crop advances to indio and Chinese-mestizo cultivators, resulting in increased surpluses of agricultural export products. The Chinese received loans for the distribution of European goods and the collection of Philippine produce for shipment abroad. Abaca and ‘sugar became prime exports during this period as a result of these European and American entrepreneurial activities. The transformation of the sugar industry due to financing and the introduction of steam-powered milling equipment increased sugar production from 3,000 piculs in mid-19th century to nearly 2,000,000 piculs in 4 decades.” These economic developments inevitably led to improvement in communications. The infrastructure program of the Spanish government resulted in a moderately functional road system, The third quarter of the century saw the opening of railroad lines. The steamship effected both internal and external linkages, postal services improved, the telegraph was inaugurated in 1873, and by 1880; We were connected to the world by a submarine cable to Hong Kong, Manila's water system was modernized in 1870; we had street cars in 1881 and telephone and electric lights in the metropolitan region during the same period. Material progress set the stage for cultural and social changes, among them the cultivation of cosmopolitan attitudes and heightened opposition to clerical control. Liberalism had invaded the country as a result of the reduction of the Spain-Manila voyage to thirty days after the opening of the Suez Canal. The mestizo culture that developed became the crude ideological framework of the ferment among the affluent indios and mestizos. Page | 14Compilation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC The Ideological Framework Economic prosperity spawned discontent when the native beneficiaries saw a new world of fluence opening for themiselves and their class. They attained a new consciousness and hence, a new goal ~ that of equality with the peninsulares ~ not in the abstract, but in practical economic and political terms, Hispanization became the conscious manifestation of ‘economic struggle, of the desire to realize the potentialities offered by the period of expansion and progress. Hispanization and assimilation constituted the ideological expression of the Economic motivations of affluent indlos and mestizos. Equality wth the Spaniard meant equality of opportunity. But they did not realize as yet that real equality must be based on national freedom and independence. They were still in the initial phases of nationalist Consciousness ~ a consciousness made possible by the market situation of the time. Thelordly fnar who had been partly responsible for the isolation of the islands became the target of attacks. Anti-clericalism became the ideological style of the period. These then were the salient economic and ideological features of Rizal's time. A true historical review would prove that great men are those who read the times and have a deeper understanding of reality. It is their insights that make them conversant with their periods and Which enable them to articulate the needs of the people, To a large extent Rizal, the iustrado, fulfilled this function, for in voicing the goals of his class he had to include the aspirations of the entire people. Though the aims of this class were limited to reformist measures, he expressed its demands in terms of human liberty and human dignity and thus encompassed the wider aspirations of all the people. This is not to say that he was conscious that these were class goals; rather, that typical of his class, he equated class interest with people's welfare. He did this in good faith, unaware of any basic contradictions between the two. He was the product of his society and as such could be expected to voice only those aims that were within the ‘competence of his class. Moreover, social contradictions had not ripened sufficiently in his time to reveal clearly the essential disparateness between class and national goals. Neither could he have transcended his class limitations, for his cultural upbringing was such that affection for Spain and Spanish civilization precluded the idea of breaking the chains of Colonialism. He had to become a Spaniard first before becoming a Filipino.” [As a social commentator, ¢ the exposer of oppression, he performed a remarkable task. His vnitings were part of the tradition of protest which eventually blossomed into revolution, info a separatist movement. His original zim of elevating the inci to the level of Hispanization of the peninsular so that the country could be assimisted, could become a province of Spain, was transformed into its opposite. Instead of making the Filipinos closer to Spain, the propaganda gave root to separatism. The drive for Hispanization was transformed into the development of distinct national consciousness. Rizal contributed much to the growth of this national consciousness. It was a contribution not only in terms of propaganda but in something positive that the present {generation of Filipinos will owe to him and for which they will honor him by completing the task which he so nobly began. He may have had a different and limited goal at the time, a goal that {or us is already passed, something we take for granted. However, for hs time this limited goal was already 2 big step In the right direction. This contribution was in the realm of Filipino nationhood — the winning of our name as a race, the recognition of our people as one, and the elevation of the india into the Filipino, Page | 15,Compilation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC The Concept of Filipino Nationhood This was a victory in the realm of consciousness, a victory in a racial sense. However, ‘t was only a partial gain, for Rizal repudiated real decolonization. Beguiled by the new colonizer, most Filipinos followed the example of Rizal. As a consequence, the development cof the concept of national consciousness stopped short of real decolonization and we have not Yet distinguished the true Filipino trom the incipient Filipino. The concept of Filipino nationhood 1s an important tool of analysis as well as 2 conceptual weapon of struggle. There are many Filpinos who do not realize they are Filipinos conly in the old cultural, and racial sense. They are not aware of the term Filipino as a developing concept. Much less are they aware that taday social conditions demand that the true Filipino bbe one who is consciously striving for decolonization and independence. Perhaps it would be useful at this point to discuss in some detail the metamorphosis of the term Filipino not just as a matter of historical information but so that we may realize the importance of Rizal's contribution in this regard. Even more valuable are the insights we may gain into the interdependence between material conditions and consciousness as manifested In the evolution of the word Filipino in terms of its widening applicability and deeper significance through succeeding periods of our history. Itis important to bear in mind that the term Filipino originally referred to creoles ~ the Spaniards born in the Philippines ~~ the Espafioles-Filipinos, for short. The natives were called indios. Spanish mestizos who could pass for whites claimed to be creoles and therefore Filipinos. Toward the last quarter of the 19th century, Hispanized and urbanized indios along with Spanish mestizos and sangley mestizos began to cal themselves Filipinos, especially after the abolition of the tribute lists in the 1880s and the economic growth of the period. We must also correct the common impression that the Filipinos who were in Spain during the Propaganda Period were all indios. Infact, the onginal Circulo Hispanico-Filipino was dominated by creoles and peninsulares. The Filipino community in Spain during the 1880s was 2 conglomerate of creoles, Spanish mestizos and sons of urbanized indios and Chinese mestizos." ‘This community came out with an organ called Espafa en Filipinas which sought to take the place of the earlier Revista Circulo Hispano Filipino founded by another creole, Juan ‘Atayde. Espafia en Filpinas was an undertaking mainly of Spaniards and Spanish mestizos ‘The only non-Spaniard on the statf was Baldomero Roxas. Its first issue came out in 1887. It was “moderate” in tone and failed to win the sympathy of the native elements. In a letter to Rizal, Lopez-Jaena critized itn these words: From day to day, lam becoming convinced that our countrymen, the mestizos, far from working for the common welfare, follow the policy of their predecessors, the ‘Azcarragas.” Lopez-Jaena was referring to the Azcarraga brothers who had held important positions in the Philppines and Spain, but who, though they were bor in the Philippines, showed more Sympathy forthe peninsulares. lis fortunate that a street which was once named for one of them has become Claro M. Recto today. Differences between the creoles and the “genuine” Filipinos as they called themselves, soon set in. It was at ths time that Rizal ang other indios in Paris began to use the term indios braves, thus “transforming an epithet into a badge of honor.” The cleavage in the Filipino Page | 16GomPlation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC fOtonY abroad ushered ina new peri ofthe Propaganda which may be said to have had its formal beginnin oo "9 withthe birth of La Solidaridad. ts leaders were indios. The editor was not a Pia Lane te oF a Spanish mestizo tke Lorente but Lopez-Jaena and later Marcola H. del the pretl edarad espoused the cause of liberalism and fought for democratic solutions to "© Problems that beset the Spanish colonies, From its declaration of ai i ‘ eet, ims and policies the class basis of the Propaganda is quite mists could not shake off their Spanish onentation. They wanted ecammodation within the rung system. Rizas own reformis is evident nis except his letter to Blumentritt: res a under the present circumstances, we do not want separation from Spain. All that Ie ask 's greater attention, better education, better government employees, ane oF two tne awentatives and greater security tor our persons and property. Spain could always win {he appreciation ofthe Filpinas if she were only reasonable”* The inafios ted by Rizal gained acceptability as Filipinos because they roved their equality with the Spani ", ne lards in terms of both culture and property. This was an important stage 1 our appropriation ofthe term Filipino. Rizal's intellectual excellence paved the way for the ‘winning ofthe name for the natives ofthe land. it was an unconscious struggle which led to a Conscious recognition of the pejorative meaning of alo. Thus, the winning ofthe term Filipino \was an ant-colonial victory for it signified the recognition of racial equality between Spaniards and Filipinos. The “Limited” Filipinos But the appropriation of this term was not the end of the historic struggle for national ‘entity. While for Rizal's time this was a signal victory, it was in truth a limited victory for us. For the users of the term were themselves limited Filipinos based on education and property ‘Since this term was applied to those who spoke in the name of the people but were not really ‘of the people, the next stage for this growing concept should be the recognition of the masses 48 the real nation and their transformation into real Filipinos. However, the Filipino of today must undergo a process of decolonization before he can become a true Filipino. The decolonized Filipino is the real goal for our time just as the Hispanized Filipino was once the goal of the refonmists. ‘Though Rizal was able to win for his coutrymen the name Filipino, it was stil as iustrado that he conceived of this term. As ilustrado he was speaking in behalf of all the indlos though he was separated by culture and even by property from the masses, His iustrado onentation ‘manifests itself in his novels. Though they are supposed to represent 19th century Philippine society in microcosm, all the principal characters belonged to the principalia. His hero, Ibarra, was a Spanish mestizo. The Spaniard, the creole, the mestizo, and the wealthy Chinese—these were characters he could portray with mastery because they were within his milieu and class, But there are very hazy descriplions of characters who belonged to the masses. His class position, his upbringing, and his foreign education were profound influences which constituted a limitation on his understanding of his countrymen, Rizal, therefore, was an ilstrado hero whose ife's mission corresponded in a general way to the wishes and aspirations ofthe people. He died fo his people, yet his repudiation of the Revolution was an act against the people. There seems to be a contradiction between the two acts; there is actually none. Both acts were in character; Rizal was acting from patriotic ‘motives in both instances. Page | 17FomPlation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC_ the poms Condemned the Revolution because as an Hustrad he instinctively underestimated Fight bat ac nd th talents of the people. He believed in freedom not so much a5 a national equate bee nethina to be deserved, ike a medal for good behavior. Moreover, he did nat thosengnte at independence. Since his idea of liberty was essentially the demand for Of the vale zal id not consider political independence as a prerequisite to freedom. Fearful Wanted us te got peoples action, he did not want us to ight for aur independence. Rather, he He expressed eer the time when Spain.acting in her own best interests, would abandon us. Wrote in hie al self clearly on these points in the following passage from a letter which he nhs cell on December 12, 1896, for the use of his defense counsel Many have interpreted my phrase to have iberties as to have ind ‘my phrase to have iberties as to have independence, wich are two diferent things. A people can be tree wihout being independert, and ¢ raple can be independent wihout boing free. | have abways desired ixries or the iippines and Ihave said so. Others who testy that Isai independence ether have set the cart before the horse or they he.” He had expressed much the same opinion earlier in his E/ Filbusterismo when Father Florentino said: 1100 nat mean to say that our liberty wil be secured at the sword's point, for the ‘Sword plays but itle part in modem aflairs, but that we must secure it by making ourselves worthy oft. be exaling the inteligence and the dignity ofthe individual, by loving justice ‘rah and greatness, even to the extent of dying for them — and when 3 people reaches that height God will provide a weapon, the idals wil be shattered, the tyranny wil rumble lice a house of cards and iberty wil shine out ike the frst dawn." ‘Yet the people revered him because, though he was not with them, he died for certain principles which they believed in. He was their martyr; they recognized his labors although they knew that he was already behind them in their forward march. In line with their avowed policy of preparing us for eventual self-government, the ‘Americans projected Rizal as a model ofthe educated citizen. His name was invoked whenever the incapacity of the masses for self-government was pointed out asa justification for American tutelage. Rizal's preoccupation with education served to further the impression that the majority ofthe Filipinos were unlettered and therefore needed tutelage before they could be ready for independence. A book, Rizal, Educator and Economist, used in certain Philippine schools, supports this thesis by quoting a portion of Riza's manifesto of December 15, 1896 which states: J1am one most anxious fribertes for our country, and | am sil desirous o them, But | place as a prior condition the education of the people, that by means of instruction land industry our country may have an indvidualty of ts own and make Rself worthy of these ibertes.* ‘The authors of this book then make the following comment: Fiza intentionally avoided tho use of he term “independence” perhaps becouse he honestly believed that independence in its tue, teal, and strict sense should rot be ‘ranted us unl we were educated enough to apprecit ts importance ands Wessinge, 4nd uni we were economicely sll-suicient*" This statement not only supports the American fine but is also an example of how our admiration for Rizal may be used to beguile us into accepting reactionary belief, the products ‘of colonial mentality Page | 18Compilation of Readings in Life and Works of Jose Rizal (GEC 109) History Department, MSU-GSC A people have every right to be free. Tutelage in the art of government as an excuse {Rr Colonialism is a discredited alibi, People learn and educate themselves in the process of rugalng for freedom and liberty. They attain their highest potential only when they are frooska ot their own destiny. Colonialism is the only agency stil trying to sell the idea that ‘oedom isa diploma to be granted by a superior people o an infenor one after years of apprenticeship. The Precursors of Mendicaney In @ way, Rizal's generation Isno diferent from the generation that was engaged in our Coependence campaigns. Neither was his generation much diferent trom those who today S2y they stand for independence but do not want to hurt the feelings ofthe Americans, In SRY, Rizal and his generation were precursors of the present-day mendicants, I may be shocking to say that Rizal was one of the practtioners af a mendicant policy, but the fect {hat the propagandists, in working for certain reforms, chose Spain as the arena of then TuEgale instead of working among their own people, educating them and leaming from them, {Relping them to realize ther ow condition, and articulating ther apiraions. Ths reflects the bifurcation between the educated and the masses, The elite had a subconscious disrespect for the ably of the people to articulate their ‘04m demands and to move on their ovm. They felt that education gave them the right to speak {or the people. They proposed an eltist form of leadership, al the while believing that what the elte leadership decided was what the people would and should follow. They failed to realize that at critical moments of history the people decide on their own what they want and what ‘they want to do. Today, the new ilustrados are shocked by the spate of rales and demonstrations. They cannot seem to accept the fact that peasants and workers and the youth have moved without waiting for their word. They are not accustomed to the people moving on their own, ‘The ilustrados were the Hispanized sector of our population, hence they tried to prove that they were as Spanish as the peninsulares. They wanted to be called Filipinos in the creole ‘sense: Filipino-Spaniards as Rizal called Ibarra. They are no different from the modern-day mendicants who try to prove that they are Americanized, meaning that they are Filipino- Americans. As @ matter of fact, the illustrados of the first propaganda movement utlzed the ‘same techniques and adopted the same general atitude as the modern-day mendicants and pseudonationalists, in so far as the colonizing power was concerned. tlustrados and Indios ‘The contrast to the ilustrado approach was the Katipunan of Bonifacio. Bonifacio, not as Hispanized as the ilustrados, saw in people's action the only road to liberation. The Katipunan, though of Masonic and European inspiration, was a people's movement based on confidence in the people's capability to act in their own behalf. The early rebellions, spontaneous and sporadic, could be termed movernents without consciousness. Rizal and the propagandists were the embodiment of a consciousness without a mavement. It was Bonifacio and the Katipunan that embodied the unity of revolutionary consciousness and revolutionary practice, The indio as Filipino rose in arms while the jlustrado was stil waiting for Spain to dispense justice and reforms. The itustrado Flipno was now being surpassed by the indio in revolutionary ardor. The indio had a more legitimate claim to the tle of Filipino because he was truly liberating himself, The revolutionary masses proclaimed their separatist goal through the Katipunan. Faced with the popular determination, the ilustradbos joined the Revolution Page | 19