Who is Rizal?

By Kristine May A. Doydora

He said to love our own language but wrote two novels in Spanish. He wanted change but
was afraid of warfare. Yes, I am talking about Jose Rizal, a chick-magnet from the generation of
our great, great, great grandparents; has a mustache, with a hairstyle that couldnt be ruined by a
typhoon and with a fashion sense of an action star, wearing long sleeves even though its hot.
Clich but it is true theres a hero in each and every one of us and the measurement of
being a hero is way too vague. With great power, comes great responsibility. This is my gift;
this is my curse. Who am I? I am Spider Man. Actually, Jose Rizal also said these lines just in a
different way. He said, At present, I know that the future of my country gravitates in part around
me. In short, he knew that he was important to his country.
Here in the Philippines, we have a long list of our heroes: Captain Barbell, Nardong
Putik, Darna, etc. But when it comes to a person who acted like a superhero, no one is as famous
as Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal.

Hes on a one-peso coin, on a cover of a match, on a

monument, selyo, even treated as a god for some.

To cut a long story short, there are countless stories and information about Rizal that we
have heard the moment we started attending school that it already seemed like building a large
jigsaw puzzle. Its already been more than 150 years, but until now, the question remains the
same; who really are you, Jose Rizal?
Some say he is a great and smart guy. Obviously he is because hes a writer, a doctor and
at the same time, loves his country more than himself. He is selfless, he is extraordinary. I truly
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agree. As an Iskolar ng Bayan, I believe we are scholars for the nation. Just like Rizal then, I
know we are important to our country. Even though we came from different places, even though
we are different in terms of how we do things, in terms of our skills, we are all the same. Me,
you, us, we are all Iskolar para sa Bayan. It is not enough that we are student only. But, we
should grasp the true meaning of what being Iskolar ng Bayan is. It means that, we are doing, we
are studying, not only for us to develop ourselves, but for the betterment of the country that is
giving a part to us.
Being a youth is far more than being a student only. We should be aware of the issues of
the state because we are part of it. Only then we can act upon it to be able to achieve the changes
we want to attain. We should respond to social relevant issues that play in the Philippines at
present. As a student, education should be a priority of the government, in other words, it should
be centered to us. And our priority should be the Philippines. The key to social awareness is
basically interest for our country. If you want to be socially aware of the issues, you just have to
be interested and basically, what use are you as a student if you wont be socially aware. The
very reason why we are studying in the first place especially that we are studying in a state
university like UP is so that we can help the country as a whole. So our very purpose as a student
is to assist the society.
We should be involve because it is our responsibility primarily as citizens of the
Philippines. Every citizen is supposed to be accountable for his or her own country. And if there
particular people or a group of people who actually abused their power to oppress the Filipino
people for their own personal needs then it is therefore the responsibility of the students to
respond as citizens of the Philippines, to respond to these people and to become the instrument of
justice at the end of the day. We can all be heroes in our own little way. Basically, by being part
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of an even greater group to support agenda for the good of our nation. Lets exercise collective
action. And this is what Jose Rizal truly means, when he said Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng
bayan.
Jose Rizal is the Philippine National Hero. They say he is the symbol of freedom. By
asking who is Rizal? it cant be helped that there will be some who will question if he should
really be the national hero. Others would say that he didnt even agree about the revolution that
made us free from the Spanish colonialism for 300 years; that it should be Bonifacio because he
was the who fought with all his might while Rizal wrote only. However, there are also people
that would say it should still be Rizal because he is for peaceful reform unlike Bonifacio that is
violent and not that educated. It seemed that people would always want the two primary heroes
of the Philippines fighting.
According to Salazar, by looking at Philippine psychology, there are things that Rizal and
Bonifacio are different. Rizal is the youngest. He got all the attention from his family, got a
nanny and was spoiled. These may have an effect towards him being hesitant about being part of
a revolution. On the other hand, Bonifacios parents died early so he knew how to be
independent at a very young age. He studied all by himself and because he was the oldest, he
acted as the father and mother of his siblings. So Bonifacio was more aggressive, was more of a
decision-maker, and was the one who really pushed for the revolution.
Moreover, Salazar said Rizal was sensitive or emotional because he was used of getting
what he wanted or as what I have said, spoiled. Meanwhile, Bonifacio was caring and selfless.
He made coffee for his people in KKK even though he was the leader. He also gave way to his
friend Emilio Jacinto to use his Cartilla. Rizal, being the youngest, needed role models, brother

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figures like Paciano and Blumentrit, while Bonifacio, being the oldest, is not used that his
decisions would not be followed.
All through the years and writings of Rizal, even though he is consistent about the love
for his country, it is obvious the he would always keep changing his mind if reform was the only
needed and that Philippines should be a part only of the Spaniards or the other way around. Even
his views about the revolution were not constant. According to Salazar, it may be because that he
is the youngest while Bonifacio, as the oldest, has only one decision after a very thorough
analysis of a situation. However, in the midst of their difference as a person, their goal was the
same. For what did Jose Rizal wrote in the law of La Liga Filipina, our being a nation will start
by us, helping each other, by education and by stopping the abuses here in the Philippines. On
the other hand, Bonifacio also taught in the Katipunan that we should be free and it would only
be achieve if each and every one care and loves each other. Nagmamahalan ang mga anak ng
bayan bilang magkakapatid. The two should not be compared because they both said that
change first starts within ourselves.

We should listen because in listening, we can create concrete steps towards helping each
other. We should empower each other, acknowledge the capabilities of each and every one of us
that all of us can do even small things to fight for issues and the likes because that small acts,
when combined, will really become larger; those who were once afraid are now fighting; those

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who cant be heard are now speaking. We should be part of a greater fight, a fight that is greater
than yourself, your family.
Lets continue what have started and has been accomplished for the Philippines.

He is someone we can look up to.

Rizal is my idol. He is a writer, a doctor, a Philippine National Hero. He should not be forgotten.
He is selfless; he loves his country more than himself. He is someone we can look up to. He
should be the role model of the Filipino youth. He is extraordinary. He is the symbol of freedom.

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