06.JoseRizal

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Picture this: this was the end of Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal. ... Jose Rizal's fame, and in some cases, infamy is credited to his books, which include: ( 1).
Pilipino American Coalition California State University, Long Beach Hilario “L.J.” Balajadia, Cultural Chair Week 6

Jose Rizal Picture this: today you stand in a prison arrested for doing nothing but having pride for your country and your culture. In two months, you shall be convicted as a criminal and two weeks after that, you shall be executed in front of a crowd by gunshot. No one shall know your real grave site and there shall be no tombstone or marker of your body, except for your small family who knows and remembers you. You will be treated as the starter of a rebellion and will dealt with as such. Picture this: this was the end of Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal. A hero to whom we owe much gratitude for what he has done for our country. Jose Rizal is credited as being a man of many talents and skills. Jose Rizal was able to travel the world and learn of different languages and cultures (he learned over twenty-two different languages). He was well educated in medicine as well as the arts (painting, sculpting, and wood carving), and was a famous writer. In terms of Jose Rizal’s beginning as a national hero, we can credit that to his mother. When Jose Rizal was a child, he stared at the sight of a moth flying by a candle. His mother then told him the story of a young moth being unable to heed a warning not to fly near the candle, and in turn, was burned and killed. Jose Rizal then questioned why his mother told him the story, where she simply replied, “Don’t imitate the young moth and don’t be disobedient; you’ll get burned like it.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t in Jose Rizal’s nature to simply be obedient. Jose Rizal made a name for himself in his adulthood by being a founding member of La Liga Filipina (The Philippine League), which then gave birth to the Katipunan. In these groups, Jose Rizal stood for his belief in peaceful institutional reform instead of violence in order to change the Philippines. Jose Rizal’s fame, and in some cases, infamy is credited to his books, which include: (1) Noli Me Tangere, (2) its sequel, El Filibusterismo. His first novel, Noli Me Tangere, or “touch me not”, obtains its title from some of the words of Jesus Christ (in reference to after he was resurrected). Both novels are written originally in Spanish (since Spanish was the national language during the time of colonialism), they criticized the Spanish for what they had done to the Philippines and it urged for Pilipinos to rise up against them to take back their country. In fact, some could say the course of the main character in both these books follows Jose Rizal closely. It was in writing these books that Jose Rizal received threats about his well being along with accusations of being a criminal, and with the support of his family, Rizal began to flee the Philippines in search for a place he could be safe. October of 1896, Jose Rizal was captured by the Spanish while he was in Spain; he was then brought back to the Philippines and kept within the boundaries of Fort Santiago. In December he was tried and convicted for rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy and he received the punishment of death by firing squad. On the day of his execution, Jose Rizal was recorded to have a normal pulse, showing no signs of nervousness or fear; he was allowed to see his family and bid his farewells. He was then taken to his execution site. He was blindfolded and positioned that the firing squad would be to his back, but instead turned so he could face them head on. His final words are also documented to have been related to his belief in God, being “consummatum est” meaning “it is finished”. In his final letter to his friend, Jose Rizal says this, “Tomorrow at 7, I shall be shot; but I am innocent of the crime of rebellion. I am going to die

Pilipino American Coalition California State University, Long Beach Hilario “L.J.” Balajadia, Cultural Chair Week 6

with a tranquil conscience.” Jose Rizal may be dead, but his legacy lives on. The Philippines after went through more revolution and reform and today we have an independent government. His death place is now known as Rizal Park with a monument in his honor. His death day is revered in the Philippines as Rizal Day, a national holiday celebrating his accomplishments. Jose Rizal is credited as the one of the first heros that sparked a revolution with not violence, but with the ideas of reform and the concern for his culture. Picture this: over one-hundred years ago the Philippines was colonized by the Spanish. Over one-hundred years ago, Jose Rizal took a stand for his belief in the Philippines. PAHM is all about discovery, strength, being able to overcome the obstacles we’ve faced in being Pilipinos. And I, much as Jose Rizal would, encourage you to learn more and research about your culture. “Know your people-- their past, their present, their culture, their language, their aspirations, their strengths, their weaknesses. Do this for you cannot lead whom you do not know.” Sources: http://www.joserizal.ph/in01.html http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/noli-me-tangere-el-pais-de-los-frailes-novela-tagala-0/html/ - Noli Me Tangere in Spanish http://www.joserizal.ph/no01.html - Noli Me Tangere http://joserizal.info/Biography/memoirs-chapter8.htm Almonte, Napoleon G. Rizal Is My President: 40 Leadership Tips from Jose Rizal. Manila, Philippines: OCCI Publications, 2009. Print.