Was Dr.

Rizal a
Reformist or a
Revolutionary?
Reform - to change and improve
something by correcting faults, removing
inconsistencies and abuses, and
imposing modern methods or values.
Reformist a person who advocates
reform to an existing institution.
Revolution - the overthrow of a ruler or
political system. Revolutionary who
supports, or advocates revolution.
Rizal was a REFORMIST
Rizal NEVER
believed in a
revolution that
sheds Blood.
Rizal denied the existence of the 1896 Revolution
because he didn’t want his conscience to be
marred by the blood of his countrymen who
will inevitably suffer because of their
unpreparedness for a full-scale revolution.
Moreover, he believed that this will not make
the Philippines a better country. The Philippine
Revolution freed the Filipinos from the hands of
the Spaniards. Although Rizal had revolutionary
ideas, he was not for armed revolution per see.
He was more for the gradual and peaceful
one. One that is catalyzed by the education of
the people.
In the history of the most celebrated hero,
Dr. Jose Rizal seems to dominate the
permanent pages of history books. Why?
Because many believed that he was the
one who stirred the people to fight for
our freedom. There is no problem in
immortalizing Rizal and his heroism in
many literary and written for by
generation and generation
Probably this is the most fitting way of
laying respect and gratitude to his
contributions and sacrifices for the
benefit of the filipino people and of our
nation. It’s just unfortunate that in trying
to present him as an icon of heroism, he
was placed in a pedestal that became
too tough for Juan Cruz to reach.
The national revolution that we had in our
country from 1896 to 1901 is one period when
the filipino people were most united, most
involved and most spirited to fight for a
common cause ---- FREEDOM! While all the
aspects of Jose Rizal short but meaningful life
were already explored and exhausted by
history writers and biographers, his direct
involvement in the Philippine Revolution that
broke out in 1896 remains to be a sensitive
and unfamiliar topic. Historians cannot deny.
That Rizal played a major part in the
country’s struggle for reforms and
independence. His writings, particularly
the Noli Me Tangere and El Felibusterismo
were viewed as the guiding force for
order patriots to rally for the country’s
cause. Truly he is not in favor of the
bloody revolution that will cause many
lives. Furthermore, Rizal believed that the
people are not yet ready for the fight.
Instead he called for reforms like
assimilation of the Philippines.
Representation in the Spanish Cortes,
equal privilege and opportunity in
education. Rizal in his manifesto put
emphasis on the necessity of education
in the achievement of liberties. Most
importantly he believed that reforms to
be fruitful must not come from above
and that those that come from below
are shaky, irregular, and uncertain.
Rizal’s weakness for this matter was his
failure to fully understand his people. He
was unsuccessful in emphasizing with the
true sentiments of the people from
below launching the armed rebellion. He
repudiated the revolution because he
thought that reforms to be successful
should come from above. It could be
understandable that the hero thought of
such because it was the belief of the
prevailing class to which Rizal belong.
It is also possible that Rizal disapproved the
revolution due to his belief that violence
should not prevail. In this case, Rizal
unintentionally underestimated the
capacity of those from below to compel
changes and reforms. This hesitation of
Rizal against the revolution was supported
by Dr. Pio Valenzuela’s 1896 account of
the revolution after he was sent by Andres
Bonifacio to Dapitan to seek Rizal’s
opinion and approval in launching an
armed rebellion.
The spanish administration, in my realization
Rizal had laid out the foundation for
revolution when he wrote his first novel Noli
Me Tangere that became the “catalyst of
revolution”. Noli was the first part of the
ground work; the awakening of national
consciousness and the arousal of the
fulfillment of the spirit of nationalism. For Rizal,
this will spark the revolution and the right
time because the Filipino fully understand
their responsibility for the country.
When Filipinos are so united into what rizal
calls a “compact, vigorous and
homogenous body, then the idols and
the tyrants will fall like a house of cards.”
Finally, I better understand that our
national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, that yes, he is
not perfect in trying to become one. He
has weakness and limitations that
somehow hindered him in supporting the
revolution.
All that Dr. Rizal
Wants is to
Educate all
Filipinos
He reasoned out that when subject people
are educated, intelligent, and have
become aware of their human rights,
they would have self-determination and
they would strive to be free from their
mother country. When this revolution
happens, drastic changes will occur in
the political, economical, social,
religious, and intelligence sphere of a
society paving the way for its