Rizal: A Search for the Light

To be enlightened about the conflicts arising in our society, we should be accepting and taking them as challenges and at the same time, making ways and thinking of possible solutions to resolve them, and that is what our national hero did when he witnessed and realized all the oppressions and mistreatments of the Spanish government’s colonization in the country.

On June 19, 1861, this hero was born and raised in a good family background which was considered as one of the biggest families during their time. He was a Filipino doctor, poet, novelist and nationalist and the author of the famous novels – Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, a man of a brilliant mind and burning desire to free his country against the Spanish colonizers. He studied medicine and became adept in numerous languages. He authored multiple articles, essays, poems and some novels and books which reflected his experiences and the happenings that paved the way the life of our national hero. He travelled different cities and countries around the world to pursue his dreams for himself, for his family and for his fatherland, the Philippines. He is Dr. Jose Rizal.

Throughout learning who Jose Rizal is, there is one remarkable line that striked me - his statement “It had died a martyr to its own illusion” which was based on the destiny of the insect in the story “The Young Moth and the Old One.” This became a turning point in his life as it became an inspiration for him to set his goals, act on it and make them successful, even after his death.

Like the moth’s fate, Rizal also searched for light – light that comes with knowledge, truth, justice and freedom from the colonizers. A light that was aimed by him, even if he would sacrifice his own life to reach it. Rizal’s dream of having a country without grief and sorrow were achieved because of struggle. His brawl with the use of his paper and pen against the Spaniards with the help of the other Filipino heroes, that in the end, expensed their lives for the independence of the country and for it to finally be in the light that they fought for, is truly remarkable.

Until his execution is Bagumbayan, he showed how he is worthy of the title “National Hero.” He was able to unite his nation until the country gained its own identity. He thus completed for himself his vision of becoming a martyr for his illusions, like the moth that inspired him in his childhood.

He is the one who proved that pen is mightier than a sword. He must be remembered and adored, because he is Jose Rizal – a man of conviction, service and great love for the Filipino people, for his fatherland, the Philippines.

Rizal, in my life, is simply my inspiration to become a hero, too.

In the present, we people must pursue dreaming, because dreaming doesn't cost money, it costs life that might fell or rise to success - just what Dr. Jose Rizal did for his country. I learned and realized that we don’t necessarily need to die for others to be called heroes, nor write numerous articles and novels just what Rizal did, but actually be that living hero by simply doing what is good and refraining from what is evil. By striving to develop the goodness that we have and helping other people to grow, giving hope that life isn’t always the struggling life that we think, but life is indeed a precious one to be treasured. That we need to preserve the lives that we have, by showing love and selflessness to other people so that we can make differences to their lives and by doing the things in the way that we will not be losing our humanity, everyone of us can be considered heroes of the modern world.

We can be advocates of goodness by simply being a role model to other people. By helping those who start to lose hope that our world cannot be saved anymore, that what the country is experiencing at present will never be stopped. By respecting life and protecting it from the things that could destroy it, by believing that we can also be brave as Rizal to fight for justice and peace, by having courage to stand, speak for the truth and be awakened about the unseen unacceptable inhumanity that violence has brought to every well-being in the world. This is what Rizal wants us to do, especially us, youths. He once said that “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan” and this can be possible if we will live by his memory and hope and be a hero as well, a hero in the modern world that will contribute for the future. We can all be heroes. We can all be catalysts of change.

Amidst of the chaotic colonization brought to us by Spaniards, Rizal chose to use pen and paper rather than sword, a bloodless battle for the independence of the Philippines. With all of the books, articles, poems and novels wrote by Rizal, these ones truly impacted my life:

First is the novel Noli Me Tangere wherein Rizal displayed the Spain's dark aspects of colonial rule, specifically the role of the Spanish friars in governing the country. This paved the way the lives of the Filipinos that time and enlightened them about the mistreatment of the Spanish friars.

Second is the sequel of Noli Me Tangere - El Filibusterismo, wherein the main character sought for reform and movement here as a revenge againast the abuse, corruption and maltreatment of the Spanish rule. This novel was written and dedicated to the three martyr priests namely Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora.

Third is his letter to the young women of Malolos. Rizal illustrates here the qualities of what a Filipino mother should possess their responsibilities to their children and to their husband. Also, that his desire for Filipino women was to achieve equal education as to those men.

Fourth and lastly, is the poem “Sa Aking Mga Kabata” where Rizal tried to convey that we should love our country and we should be proud to every single thing that our country had. It also showed the importance of using our native language and that anyone who does not know how to speak our native tongue is worse than a beast or smelling fish.

It is the truth which became the basis of Rizal’s love for the country and became his reason to have a blazing desire to fight and struggle for justice and peace, that the every drop of ink when he writes became the seeds of hope and aspiration for the freedom of his fellowmen, of every Filipino who became his source of strength, determination and braveness. He didn't stop believing. He never became discouraged at any point. With burning sensation of nationalism alongside with his keenness, he became successful and this success became fruit of life of this present time.

One of the lessons I learned from Rizal is his hope that the youths will be the future of the fatherland. Bringing this to the aspect of education, as a future teacher, I learned a lot from Rizal especially when I acquired the lessons about how he studied hard and never stopped learning. Rizal went to different countries and he didn’t get tired of learning new things, especially those which he knows will be helpful for him and for his fight for the freedom of the country. I will use this lesson for me to strive harder and be like him, who would always seek for new knowledge and would always be thirsty of new learning, for these things will be very helpful for me especially today, in the world of modern technology.

Also, Rizal taught me on how to value youth, as the future of the fatherland – and it is largely in the hands of the teachers on how they will mold these youths and children to become good children in their families, productive members of society, and the future of the country. As a future teacher, I should always remember what Rizal wants to remind every young and future leaders, that they are the future of their fatherland and it is my role to help transform young minds who are now seem to not to live up what Rizal wanted them to be, that they might still be those future of the fatherland but not actually those youths that Rizal had hoped.

I can use these lessons as a future teacher because I know that there is this burning passion in me, like Rizal, that I can be a catalyst of change, that I am an instrument to help young minds to actually convert themselves and be that hope for the fatherland, just what Rizal had dreamed.

No single person can actually win a battle for freedom, especially if the opponents are of huge numbers and are powerful, but one person is actually enough to lead this battle and win it and this is what Jose Rizal did – Rizal who is worthy of the title the Philippine National Hero.

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