an-ode-to-rizal

[an-ode-to-rizal]

An Ode To Rizal

Image courtesy of John Tewell

(Disclaimer: All opinions stated are the author's own, and does not intend to cause harm to any other entities mentioned in this blog.)

Early in our lives, we are taught that the greatest patriot to be born in our homeland is named Jose Rizal.

Our Araling Panlipunan teachers spoke highly of the man who resisted the Spaniards; who penned Noli and Fili as a protest to our oppressors; and who ultimately was shot in the back on a dreary December morning.

For the majority of us, his story probably ended there.

Save for his likeness etched into the one-peso coins that I religiously stuff in my wallet, I had largely relegated any thoughts of Rizal to the back-benches of my consciousness. Sometimes I'd remember Luneta Park existed, and every June 19th I'd spare a fleeting moment to think about the guy who brought the Filipinos a holiday.

So when the opportunity to study his life came about, I was amused. I thought I already knew many things about him, but alas, I couldn't be more mistaken.

Somehow, the more I studied about Jose Rizal, I became convinced that his life was more interesting than I thought it was—and it wasn’t just because of his nationalistic and political exploits. I would argue that his other talents, as well as the other (seemingly) mundane parts of his life, aided me in changing my preconceptions of our national hero.

Image courtesy of the Philippine Presidential Museum and Library

Much has been said about Rizal's contribution to the Philippines' freedom, but for all his crusades against the Spaniards, he also excelled in every other profession he partook in. Rizal wasn't only an accomplished writer and propagandist, but he was also an adept eye doctor, farmer, teacher, scientist, artist, and engineer, among others (Zaide & Zaide, 2007, as cited in de los Reyes, n.d.). His upbringing and intelligence played a part in this, but in my opinion, only a few individuals can match Rizal’s feat of being a transformative presence in that many fields of expertise. As if alluding to this notion, Ferdinand Blumentritt said that Rizal’s “rare brilliance” is akin to a comet “which only appears every other century”, while former Senate President Camilo Osias called Rizal a “versatile genius” (Jose Rizal University, 2018).

Furthermore, I learned a lot about our ways of living during the colonial era, thanks to Rizal’s exploits. For instance, despite the questionable age gap between him and his cousin-turned-lover Leonor Rivera, I realized that life back then was far more different than it is today. Rizal and Rivera’s “engagement” was meant to be a safeguard of their families’ power, not some malicious underage affair (Limos, 2018).

An insight into the more mundane aspects of his life also allowed me to view Rizal as less of the “Spaniard-fighting hero” and more of a human being, whose family and companions helped him become the person we all know him for. I was surprised when my dad (whose birthday was almost a century after Rizal's) boasted about things he learned while studying Rizal’s life many years ago. "Basta ako, alam ko ang pangalan ng alaga ni Rizal!" I laughed when he told me the answer back then, but apparently, Alipato the pony and Usman the dog really were Rizal's beloved pets (GMA News, 2020). Maybe I didn't know a lot about Rizal after all.

Between a prodigious childhood and his ultimate sacrifice, Rizal’s life is something to be celebrated. I was wrong for taking him for granted—after all, the relative comforts that we enjoy today was, in no small part, due to his selflessness and desire to restore our country’s dignity (joserizal.com, 2012).

In the end, I did concede something—Jose Rizal’s life really is something worth examining. We seldom find people like him anymore, and drawing upon his story enables us to learn from the past, and consequently, help us attain a path to a glorious future.

References:

De los Reyes (n.d.). The Multi-Talented Hero [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas Instructure. https://dlsl.instructure.com/login/google

GMA News (2020, June 19). 24 Oras: "ThinkTok:" Ika-159 Kaarawan ni Dr. Jose Rizal [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIgPnCCoYV4

JoseRizal.com (2012, December 30). Death of Jose Rizal. https://www.joserizal.com/death-jose-rizal/

Jose Rizal University (2018, October 12). Rizal in Focus: The Many-Sided Personality. http://bayaningrizal.pairserver.com/jru/different-character.html

Limos, M. (2018, June 12). Leonor Rivera: The Tragic Story of Jose Rizal's Most Significant Love and Heartbreak. https://www.esquiremag.ph/the-good-life/pursuits/leonor-rivera-the-tragic-story-of-jose-rizal-s-most-significant-love-and-heartbreak-a1957-20180612-lfrm2

Photo Credits:

Presidential Museum and Library (2013). Dr. Jose P. Rizal, seen here treating a European patient as a lady watches on [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/if3f26

Presidential Museum and Library (2016). 003-2 [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/FR3BLw

Retro Pilipino (2018). Rare photo of Gat Jose Rizal [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/RetroPilipino/photos/a.206547512802389/871485826308551/?type=3

Tewell, J. (2013). Execution of Dr. Jose Rizal at Bagumbayan (Luneta - Rizal Park), Manila, Philippines, December 30, 1896 [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/iJDEo