Why is Rizal the greatest Filipino hero?

Ashlyrondib
6 min readJan 26, 2021

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Rizal as a Filipino hero

credits: @Rizal Merchandise in Angono Rizal

A hero symbolizes goodness. Rizal gave us freedom by using goodness. Jose Rizal became the Philippine national hero because he fought for freedom in an exceedingly silent but powerful way. He expressed his love for the Philippines through his novels, essays and articles instead of through the utilization of force or aggression. He was a awfully amazing person at his time. He was humble, fighting for reforms through his writings rather than through a revolution. He used his intelligence, talents and skills in an exceedingly more peaceful way instead of the aggressive way.

A meek Beginnings

Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado Y Alonso Realonda was born on June 19, 1861 to Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonzo within the town of Calamba within the province of Laguna. He had nine sisters and one brother. At the first age of three, the future politician had already learned nation alphabet. And, by the age of 5, Jose could already read and write.

Upon enrolling at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila (now stated as Ateneo De Manila University), he dropped the last three names in his full name, after his brother’s advice hence, being called Jose Protasio Rizal. His performance at school was outstanding winning various poetry contests, impressing his professors together with his familiarity of Castilian and other foreign languages, and crafting literary essays that were critical of the Spanish historical accounts of pre-colonial Philippine societies.

A man with a lot of intelligence credits: @Dreamstime.com

A man with Multiple Professions

While he originally obtained a land surveyor and assessor’s degree in Ateneo, Rizal also took up a preparatory course on law at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). But when he learned that his mother was going blind, he decided to change to medicine school in UST and afterward specialized in ophthalmology. In May 1882, he decided to trip Madrid in Spain, and earned his Licentiate in Medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid.

Except for being called an expert within the field of medication, a poet, and an essayist, Rizal exhibited other amazing talents. He knew how to paint, sketch, and make sculptures. Because he lived in Europe for about 10 years, he also became a polyglot accustomed to 22 languages. apart from poetry and artistic writing, Rizal had varying degrees of expertise in architecture, sociology, anthropology, fencing, martial arts, and economics to call some.

His powerful Novels credits:@Culturetrip

His novels provoked Philippine Nationalism.

Rizal had been very vocal against the Spanish government, but in an exceedingly peaceful and progressive manner. For him, “the pen was mightier than the sword.” and thru his writings, he exposed the corruption and wrongdoings of presidency officials moreover because the Spanish friars. While in Barcelona, Rizal contributed essays, poems, allegories, and editorials to the Spanish newspaper, La Solidaridad. Most of his writings, both in his essays and editorials, centered on individual rights and freedom, specifically for the Filipino people. As a part of his reforms, he even needed the inclusion of the Philippines to become a province of Spain. But, among his best works, two novels stood out from the remainder Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of the Greed).

In both novels, Rizal harshly criticized the Spanish colonial decree the country and exposed the ills of Philippine society at the time. and since he wrote about the injustices and brutalities of the Spaniards within the country, the authorities banned Filipinos from reading the controversial books. Yet they weren’t able to ban it completely. As more Filipinos read the books, their eyes opened to the reality that they were suffering unspeakable abuses at the hands of the friars. These two novels by Rizal, now considered his literary masterpieces, are said to own indirectly sparked the Philippine Revolution.

Rizal Unfateful Days

Upon his return to the Philippines, Rizal formed a progressive organization called the La Liga Filipina. This civic movement advocated social reforms through legal means. Now Rizal was considered even more of a threat by the Spanish authorities (alongside his novels and essays), which ultimately led to his exile in Dapitan in northern Mindanao.

This however failed to stop him from continuing his plans for reform. While in Dapitan, Rizal built a faculty, hospital, and water system. He also taught farming and worked on agricultural projects like using abaca to form ropes.

Rizal Shrine In Dapitan City credits:@tripadvisor

In 1896, Rizal was granted leave by then Governor-General Blanco, after volunteering to visit Cuba to serve as doctor to infectious disease victims. But at that point, the Katipunan had a full-blown revolution and Rizal was accused of being related to the key militant society. On his way to Cuba, he was arrested in Barcelona and sent back to Manila to face for trial before the court martial. Rizal was charged with sedition, conspiracy, and rebellion and thus, sentenced to death by firing squad.

Days before his execution, Rizal bid farewell to his motherland and countrymen through one among his final letters, entitled Mi último adiós or My Last Farewell. Dr. José Rizal was executed on the morning of December 30, 1896, in what was then called Bagumbayan (now spoken as Luneta). Upon hearing the command to shoot him, he faced the squad and uttered in his final breath: “Consummatum est” (It is finished). per historical accounts, just one bullet ended the lifetime of the Filipino martyr and hero.

His Patrimony lives on

In honor of Rizal, memorials and statues of the national hero may be found not only within the Philippines, but in selected cities around the world. A road within the Chanakyapuri area of latest Delhi (India) and in Medan, Indonesia is called after him. The José Rizal Bridge and Rizal Park within the city of Seattle are dedicated to the late hero.

Jose P. Rizal Bridge in Seattle credits: @joe mabel in wikimedia comm.

Within the Philippines, there are streets, towns/cities, a university (Rizal University), and a province named after him. Three species have also been named after Rizal the Draco rizali (a small lizard, called a flying dragon), Apogonia rizali (a very rare reasonably beetle with five horns) and therefore the Rhacophorus rizali (a peculiar frog species).

To commemorate what he did for the country, the Philippines built a burial ground for him now observed as Rizal Park, found in Manila. There lies a monument which contains a standing bronze sculpture of Rizal, an obelisk, and a stone base said to contain his remains. The monument stands near the place where he fell during his execution in Luneta.

Studying the history of our nation could be boring for a few but we must always always remember that what happened within the past is that the results of what we are today. within the modern times, we are now free from the countries or nations who colonized us. This was made possible through the hard works of our heroes and others who stood for our country.

By studying the lives of heroes like Rizal, we are alleged to become more conscious of the ideals that our country is founded upon. We are speculated to become more awake to the sacrifices (such as Rizal giving his life) that our forefathers made in order that we could have an independent country.

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