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Is Rizal bill realistic?

It is fertile to pronounce that literature places substantial grip in transforming sodalities. Literature, with all its semantic inflects to the society, ineluctably unveils the defects and progress of its people. Apparently, this progressive locution serves as terminal advancement of any civilized nation in the world. Speaking of accounts, the freedom of literature dominating in Germany of Hitler’s conception, motivated the Nazi regime. While the relevance of literature in the society is considered as a fundamental notion, it is also best to unmask whose literature are we extolling. It is easy for the general public or even the scripts from legitimate sources that the definitions of patriotism and nationalism is equally interchangeable. Because most nations are directly pertaining to one’s country – countries which share the same lineage of identity, race, language, culture and history. Yet, countries like Philippines, Puerto Rico, Mexico and a lot more countries who experience foreign cultivation, don’t seem to have the capacity to combine these two terms. “Patriotism”, which means tremendous laud for a country, elicits disparity for the term “Nationalism” which certainly signifies loyalty and devotion to one’s nation. The heterogeneous characteristic of the Philippines, especially the emphasis for nonidentical tribes grounded by unique cultures and languages mounted in all parts of the archipelago, visibly refute the ambition to have undivided nation. In simple words, we can hardly associate “country” with “nation” in the Philippine context for the very reason that Filipinos at large has a diverse array of culture and history. Yet this doesn’t mean we cannot be tamed in harmony. Patriotism reflects for the unconditional attachment the people have with their country, even if it is a mixed bag of foreign inclusion and native contributions. Nationalism gives emphasis to the distinctiveness of a nation, extricating alien cultivation.

The Republic Act No. 1425 or most popular “The Rizal Bill” was mobilized in the hopes to instill patriotic ideals to the youth and to shed space in establishing the national character. Truly, the power of the church, however, didn’t hamper its approbation. Although the bill came into massive intellectual discourse in its transformative years, the bill was managed to pass along high fences of the hierarchy because of the uncontained passion of nationalists to finally give the country an ultimate distinctiveness and identity. The immediacy of the bill to take effect in pedagogical institutions was prioritized and put into the spot light of all learning citadels. However, the church also managed to suggest that the availability of El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere should be made exceptional to catholic devotees. These gestures of neutrality coming from the government is as problematic as of a defect on the capacity of Filipinos to distinguish sovereignty with any external element, not to mention the very intent of the said bill.

In fairness, the bill is considered as a huge principal leap to a progressive claim of patriotic character among Filipinos in the post-independence era. Yet it wasn’t treated as an important detail to be revered but nearly a scholarly requirement. Is it that Dr. Jose Rizal a disqualification for this purpose? Is his life and works not equivalent to a great factor in transforming a national character? It all boils down to an open consideration of multiple factors and intensive discoveries to capsulize a conclusion. Primarily, the bill wrongly positioned Rizal as an emblem of nationalism. Not because Rizal made it to a point as an heir to Spanish elite standard, which silently denounces the abilities of a Filipino, nor because he devoted his life for the country (the fact that all heroes can be as fitting to the attainment of the bill’s purpose), but because Rizal was just one of the many freedom contributors who had a distinctive view of then colonial government. Rizal’s life was just one of the many excesses of the Philippine history (Hau 2013). Rizal was a patriot and not a nationalist. His life doesn’t account for those indigenous people on the outskirts of Manila where the patriotic passages imagine early Filipino life. Moreover, the opposition coming from the Church additionally guarantees discrepant perceptions of nationalism. Thus, the priority given only to the life and works of Rizal as an inspiration for nationalistic view contributes little to none for the whole purpose.

One can pronounce that the RA 1425 is as realistic commemoration of the very roots of Philippine patriotism. As I argued above, Rizal’s life or any heroes’lives can be served as exceedingly important element in steeling loyalty for the country. Thus, their works should be readily available to all Filipinos, elites or proles, scholars or non-scholars and secular or religious. Given the complex challenges in decoding these patriotic books, as they were written in Spanish descent, translations of these passages assure little but confusion and irrelevance. Guerrero’ translations of the book offers a pit of bafflement whether Rizal was in Spanish’s side or was he with the Filipinos. This, in reason, can be explained by the tight knots and troubles Guerrero was facing by that time. From his burning passion for nationalist ideology, the conflict of interests posed by his roots and connections, down to his suppression from an American well-established individual, his translations seem to be unavailable for his fellow Filipinos but as a hard slap to the American grip in the post-Spanish government. All the bowdlerization, delocalization and anachronism, it is as if Guerrero intentionally defamiliarized Rizal to the youth.

We can continue implying that it was Guerrero’s conscious mistake for tampering Rizal’s convictions through elusive rephrasal of El Fili and Noli, but these implications allude nothing to the forming of society’s nationalistic will. It is neither detrimental to the government’s cause of effectively rendering devotion and alliance to the country as true patriotic consciousness comes within reflexive quality of the readers. I highly suggest that educators should gain credible receipts in the field of history, positioning themselves to out of prejudicial and partial boundaries, for them to effectively enlighten the queries of the students who wish to dig deeper on both complicated novels. Thus, the RA 1425 is unrealistic for reason that Rizal’s life cannot cover all the realities of society. The improper paraphrasing also contributes little for implicitly imbibing these ideals to the youth. However, it is best to say that the bill is a potential head starter in bridging the gap between the people and the country so as to the formation of nationalistic ideals.

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Why? Did I say something wrong? Or is it something I never did.

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When I'm with you, I feel secured. It hurts a little to see you go home.

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Venting out to your niece about your all-consuming paralyzing problems makes you realize how bad is the stressed side of you

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5 am and still thinking how did I get here. Why does it always have to be 5 am.

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Didn't I tell you that once you knew your reality, it will always sink you in a bottomless pit of grief

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Chopin's nocturne no. 20 lets me unveil the things which confuse me.

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How can you continue being a jerk.

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But life in the City is not that bright

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Rizza Swerte Urbina

Social Media Advocacy Campaign

(A reflection)

Social influencing requires a lot of effort. Branding as well as building identity demand strategic moves to be able to attain the objectives of the campaign. Few things I've learned in making alluring campaign have to do with how consistent we are in keeping audience updated or reminded of our cause. One of which is increasing engagement to generate more following on the campaign. In order for our followers to hike, we must bridge gaps with our audience.

Replying to comments as well as reacting to people's comments show how the page is commited by initiating interactions.

Posting the people behind the campaign also integrates human side of the group. It also show the group's confidence and it evinces legitimacy by clearing possible points which may be questionable with target audience. Audiences' loyalty is one hard rock. To win that, we need to establish credence and improve account's reputation.

However, one things that captures the essence of influencing is that influencing starts within ourselves. It begins with people encompassing the mind of all campaigns, groups, organizations and congregations. Verity is the principal factor in embarking something. To win loyalty, one must be true, moral and creative.

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Semiotics

I noticed how marketers of Jollibee uses the image of the prominent family of Carmina and Zoren Villaroel. Together with their children, the video clip portrayed the family enjoying each’s company while eating their signature fried chicken. As a costumer, I cannot help but think of my family at those moments. The Villaroel family signifies family-oriented people and that it also integrated family values among Filipinos.

This is a perfect example of a “sign” in the theory semiotics. The portrayal of the said family behind the commercial is the “signifier” and the adjacent meaning it possesses refers to the “signified”. Signs are invariably present in our societal structure. It conveys ownership, identity and experience. The use of signs in media has developed to a fruitful outcome as advertisers capitalize the concept of semiology. However, drawbacks of this is that we delve in so much to the societal interpretations of things that sometimes we undermine its initial meaning.

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Uses and gratifications

It’s a no brainer for me to use my phone every time I get to have free occasions. Social media has been my man at arms whenever I need to pass some time. Although the content really is unimportant, exploiting phone benefits my social appearance in many ways. One of which is that scrolling makes me look so busy as if a lot of things are happening in my online social space. Though what I do is scanning information, I also sometimes think of something that truly bothers my thinking.

This is how I capitalize social media in my very own ways. My actions may be relative with the experiences of other users but one thing I know is that media affects people in different ways. The theory on the uses and gratifications really justified how each social media user is driven by distinct factors and motives in immersing with these online platforms.

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Muted group

Women being stereotyped can be seen in the mass media which is converted into pop culture. The women are portrayed as sex symbols in most of the advertisements for the male products. The perspective of male towards women has been narrowed down to either sexual or emotional symbol. This creates a collective perception towards women as it vilifies their image. In communication, women are considered less powerful than men.

Muted group theory is likened to standpoint theory. Both theories concerned with oppressed women and marginalized women as their common ground. And thus, both sexes have discrepant analysis of the world. The reason why woman are taken advantage by the other sex is that, women speak with emotions. The attitudes of male being the hero, breadwinner, soldiers are considered as dominant feature that weakens women. That’s why women feel they are muted.

In my viewpoint as a woman, I don’t see this men’s nature as undermining. I don’t know any women, professional or not, religious or not, who is attractive with passive men. We all want men who can and who will protect us from any dangers.

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Interactional View

Have you ever experienced being trapped by a situation in which you can’t act the most appropriate way because there’s something bigger ahead of you that can be badly altered if you do so? I mean it’s nice to be nice with everybody. But there’s something that heavily prevents you because you are protecting a bargain, dignity, a life, or anything that demands utmost confidentiality. If you had already been through this, I think you know what Paul Watzlawick is trying to shape-claim with interpersonal communication.

The Interactional view of communication characterizes how we are entangled with another’s situation. Pulling a thread from a stacked one would affect the rest of the yarn. This is a conviction in which we believe that we always interact with everybody and that our actions are effects of someone’s action and the action we constitute will also have an effect for somebody. To capsulize, we all have a role in other’s lives and that we are all connected. This interactional view lefts us with a bottomless system having no solution nor alternative at all. However, Watzlawick’s preposition to this view is something that we should really take. He calls it “Reframing”. He suggests that we need to change our gears in life. To look for the brighter side. Changing our outlook and ideologies is not an easy thing but it’s a must when breaking a dogma.

We are not in the position to blame someone for our own mistakes and especially we should not be afraid of the negative reactions we will be eliciting just because we did the most moral thing. There is no one held more accountable with our actions but our own selves. This is not a social reality. This is living. We make our lives for the sake of nothing else.

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Symbolic Interactionism

My mom and I had a fight a couple of years ago. The fight revolved around how I let a guy enter our house without telling her. She got mad upon knowing what I did. She had theorized few situations and possible attacks that would endanger us for allowing strangers reach the innermost part of our house. In response, I also got mad for her reaction and to think how she questioned my decision implied that she has doubts on me. What made me more furious is that, even though I tried to explain who the guy was, she still resorted to her what ifs.

I realize how my mom perceive strangers as enablers of bad acts who take advantage of others. I don’t know, maybe she has past experiences or that’s just how she fathoms people she doesn’t know. This is an example of Symbolic Interactionism’s central idea. Individuals act based on the meanings objects have for them. We create our social realities based on our experiences. We perceive things based on our personal beliefs. However, this doesn’t apply in wider scopes since the theory is at a micro-level point. Human behavioral patterns are unique and unpredictive and therefore should not be examined in establishing any regulations.

In this viewpoint, I can say that although it doesn’t cater much those in a large spectrum, it still remarkably contributes bases in uncovering truths and conceptions about the self, which in its sense, is a very essential function in building a positive society.

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Cultivation Theory

When I asked my 7-year old niece of what she would like to become in the future, she immediately told me without a second thought – “A police!”. Her answer left a distinctive level of confusion in me because police wasn’t in par of what I was expecting her to say. I asked her again why and she reasoned out that she wants to pin down crime enablers and cast justice to those who are victimized - Just like Cardo in the Tv program Ang Probinsyano.

This completely bogged me in a baffling conception as to why would she want to wield her strength and femininity to a manlike task such as combating criminals. This could be truistic example of the Cultivation theory. The theory addresses how people’s perspective is shaped through constant interaction on Television or simply watching TV. The theory claims that Television has the power to cultivate or to influence our thoughts and eventually our actions. Extreme Tv viewers tend to become more violent because violence is the most cogent means of portraying winners and losers.

Take my niece’s as an illustration, all she absorbs in the Tv program is antagonists are being killed – therefore bad people should be killed. It activates her thinking of the very notion of Cardo’s character being the man-at-arms against criminals. Clearly, this explains why my niece imitates the role of this fictitious character.

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Standpoint theory

The Standpoint theory calls for equality between both genders. The theory starts with the notion that women are marginalized and oppressed by the men. And that women are considered as second-class citizens. Feminist standpoint theorist emerged in 1970’s when society had been overshadowed of patriarchal perspective. The theory argues that knowledge is socially situated. We have different experiences through which we come to perceive things differently. And that the more we are aware of this thing and ask questions, the more we are marginalized than others.

Battered women, gender wage gap, dignity, the word no, gender preference on jobs. These things are results of patriarchal. Dignity is at core of what feminism should always be about, Dignity means woman should be able to freely choose her own path in life. That’s what feminism once held. But does it still?

In this age, feminists are more entitled than men. And regarding dignity, I can’t think of anything less dignified for women that the feminist belief that in sexual arena, women are like, and therefore ought to act like men. Is this truly the liberated woman wants? To have casual sex and think nothing of it like men do? That’s what feminism aspires to? Sad to say the answer has too often been yes.