Name: Leidi Lymel L.

Luchavez
Course and Year: BEED 2

Instruction: Using 1 whole size of bond paper, read carefully the questions below, and answer
comprehensively.
1. What makes a person a hero?
2. Why do you think Rizal deserves the choice as the foremost national hero of the Philippines?
Present two (2) points of views/perspectives--a. Pro-Rizalist and b. Anti-Rizalist

1. There’s a lot of characteristic to call someone a hero. It might be someone with super human strength,
or someone who has courage and sense of responsibility, or let’s just say it depends to someone you ask
that kind of question.

I can easily say that what makes a person a hero is someone who is physically strong and doing what is
right, but no. I have two factor that needs to be considered before I call someone a hero.

First factor to be considered is the motive/intentions. People nowadays wanted to look like a hero behind
those cameras. Selectively, they help people just to brag on social media. Most of them are manipulative
and has hidden agenda. No hate to the people who uses social media as a medium to inspire others, but
are your intentions so pure to be able to call you a hero? The act of heroism is simply doing what is right
and not expecting anything in return. It might be a form of reward or a bunch of likes in the social media
platform. You just simply showed an act of kindness the moment you’ve seen someone who needs help.
By this, you’re leaving a positive impact not just to the person but also to the whole world who serve as
an inspiration.

Second factor to be considered is someone who has unshakeable goal. Despite of having the recognition
of possible risks and costs, it might be one’s physical health or personal reputation, the person is willing
to accept anticipated sacrifice. People who are not afraid to stand for what is right and people who chose
to be brave with the choices they made.

To sum up everything, I can say that the key to heroism is a concern for other people in need. A concern
to defend a moral cause, knowing there is a personal risk, done without expectation of reward. That’s
what makes a person a hero.

2. We grew up venerated in our minds that Jose Rizal is our national hero. It’s been written in our text
books his contribution and sacrifices for our nation. As I reached college, I’ve met a lot or professors who
gave different opinions and been presenting some articles and books which I’ve never heard during my
elementary and high school years. Some of them are Pro-Rizalist and some are Anti-Rizalist. At this
point, let us set our biases and hear each other’s side as to why Rizal must be our foremost national hero
and as to why he doesn’t deserve to be the national hero.

It is always said in many cultures that, “the pen is mightier than the sword, the blood of academic
scholars is better than that blood of warriors, wars are not won in the battlefield, it’s pure
politics.” Jose Rizal, our foremost national hero, was a unique man of outstanding talents. He’s a
patriot and physician, a poet and novelist, a linguist and ethnologist, a sculptor and economist, an
educator, and engineer. Above all, he was a man of conviction. He's a very intellectual man with a
great love for his country. With this, he used his education to understand and observe the Spanish rule
who impassioned him to speak out about injustice. He was a peaceful man and used the power of the
pen to express himself which eventually lead to his imprisonment and execution. Rizal did not
push for interdependence but his writings, his dedication, and his execution inspired many to
revolt. But he never insisted to revolt. He doesn’t want to waste blood and life. He wanted to
settle in a peaceful and rightful manner which is a good example for everyone especially to the
young Filipino people. His actions implored that even in a peaceful manner, you can have a huge
impact to the nation. His death did not finish his mission. It just begun. For his death inspired
many others and became the rallying force of the revolutionary leaders who were also willing to
sacrifice and die for the country, if necessary.

On the other hand, some Filipinos who venture the opinion that Andres Bonifacio, & not Jose
Rizal, deserves to be acknowledged & canonized as our first national hero. Anti-Rizalist
maintain that Rizal never held a gun, a rifle, or a sword in fighting for the liberty &
independence of our country in the battlefield. It is also said that the National Commission on
Committee and Arts (NCAA) has confirmed that “no law, executive order or proclamation has
been enacted or issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero”. In
other words, Jose Rizal was just an implied hero of history declared by the Americans. It might
be also one of the tactics of American to choose Jose Rizal as a national hero to be a “good
example” and implore to the minds of the Filipino people not to revolt against the Americans. It
is also visible to some articles and textbooks that Rizal was after for equality from the Spanish
government wherein the Philippines are accepted as part of the Spanish colonies. Bonifacio was
after for total independence.

After stating both sides as to why Rizal deserves to be the foremost national hero or not, I just
want to end my perspective by Rafael Palma’s words:

It should be a source of pride & satisfaction to the Filipinos to have among their
national heroes one of such excellent qualities & merits w/c may be equaled but not
surpassed by any other man. Whereas generally the heroes of occidental nations are
warriors & generals who serve their cause w/ the sword, distilling blood & tears, the
hero of the Filipinos served his cause w/ the pen, demonstrating that the pen is as mighty
as the sword to redeem a people from their political slavery. It is true that in our case the
sword of Bonifacio was after all needed to shake off the yoke of a foreign power; but the
revolution prepared by Bonifacio was only the effect, the consequence of the spiritual
redemption wrought by the pen of Rizal. Hence not only in the chronological order but
also in the point of importance to the previous works of Rizal seems to us superior to that
of Bonifacio, because although that of Bonifacio was of immediate results, that of Rizal
will have more durable & permanent effects.