Zarah Dayanara Ngo

H4 Wisdom

Rizal's Influence on the Youth in 150 years and Beyond

This year, the entire Filipino people celebrates with much joy and enthusiasm the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jos P. Rizal, the Renaissance Man of Calamba, the National Hero. He studied Bachelor of Arts degree with an average of "excellent" from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. In the same year, he enrolled in Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas, while at the same time took courses leading to the degree of surveyor and expert assessor at the Ateneo. He finished the latter course on March 21, 1877 and passed the Surveyors examination on May 21, 1878; but because of his age, 17, he was not granted license to practice the profession until December 30, 1881. In 1878, he enrolled in medicine at the University of Santo Tomas but had to stop in his studies when he felt that the Filipino students were being discriminated upon by their Dominican tutors. Rizal's ultimate goal. At first he sought assimilation or equality with Spain, but later on he saw that was hopeless and began thinking in terms of independence. He died because of his love to our country. Indeed Rizal was a great influence to the Filipinos especially to the youths. The example of Rizal, his interior spirit, his unwavering love for country, his passion for life and his thirst for excellence should never be ignored. In him, we find the power of perseverance, the transformative power of the written text and the beauty of a poetic worldview. We, the promise of tomorrow, the beloved Filipino youth of Dr. Rizal, still need to heed his call. We still need to follow in his footsteps. He's the inspiration of the youths to stand up for what is right and to fight for what they believe in -- through writing. He inspires the youth not only to love the country as well as to love learning, to do the best to excel in the things we do. He is an example that tells that a person can do multiple talents and skills. We just have to discover and practice those talents that are in our nature. Rizals influence continue to go on, and happy to say that because of what Rizal did many Filipinos now a days speak their minds and their fighting for justice, they actually know how to speak-up whenever the governments doing something fishy and that something nice to see. Filipinos speaking up because Jose Rizal spoke up.