Part I.

Life and Works of Rizal

Introduction

Rizal in the Eyes of the Filipinos

 a martyr who died for Filipinos
 the Tagalog Christ" or "Kristong Tagalog."
 a man of many talents-a poet, doctor, anthropologist, sculptor, surveyor, farmer,
novelist, essayist, historian, teacher, and a polyglot with a knowledge of, some authors
say, 22 languages
 Historians consider him as the man who inspired a nation.
 a saint or messiah who would one day free the Philippines from oppression.
Rizal’s detractors:
 Some writers depict him as an agitator, a wanderlust, a man hungry for power, and an
unpredictable person.
 Some write to denigrate him and question his motives.
The Humanity of Heroes
 It is important to put in mind that a hero is a human being.
 Heroes, like ordinary human beings, are a product of their time.
 Heroes are the product of their environment, which includes their society, surroundings,
and the conditions prevalent at that time.
 Heroes are made because they responded to the call of the times and their response to
this call had a decisive effect on the lives of their countrymen.
 Heroes are ordinary human beings who faced challenges with an extraordinary
response.
 their humanity will be unveiled through scholarly study.
 In closely studying the humanity of heroes, their frailties Surface.

(These frailties should not distract a serious student in studying the life of a hero. On the
other hand, the students should be guided on the contribution of heroes to the betterment
of their country rather than on their shortcomings. It is also important to consider how the
hero's achievements outweighed his deficiencies in serving the nation.)

The Criteria for Heroes

 There is no law proclamation which directly made Rizal a hero.
 Rizal's hero status was made by the acclamation of the Filipino people.
 (This becomes the object of public worship and accolades are heaped upon him. This could
be seen in singular tributes to his honor and it may even be manifested physically through
the erection of monuments and the naming of streets and buildings after him.)

 The test of a person's heroism becomes stronger if the person is acclaimed long after
his death and by people who are not of his generation. This means the appreciation of
his life and achievements spans beyond his life.
(The National Historical Institute (NHI; presently the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines), the country's agency in charge of historical matters, prescribes the passage of
50 years before a person is confirmed as a hero. If the person is still being admired after
that period and his ideas and ideals are still invoked and appreciated, the person has
passed the test of time and is considered a hero.

The NHI also laid down the definition of a hero. In 1965, its predecessor office, the National
Heroes Commission, released a criteria on the definition of a national hero, It was approved
by a committee headed by Director Carlos Quirino of the National Library.

According to their definition, a hero is defined as

 "an admirable leader towering over his peers, who is serving a noble cause, possessing
exceptional talent, distinguished valor and/or hold enterprise, exercising a determinative
influence over the spiritual life of his people in a particular remarkable event."
 "the hero must, during extreme stress and difficulties, project himself by his own fortitude,
by his own sacrifices to be the inspiration of his countrymen in leading them to their
rightful destiny.
 He must exhibit self-denial and abandon his personal interests to place those of his
country before any other, and whose deeds and acts are proudly emulated by a grateful
people that, after his death, render him singular tribute, honor him with public worship,
and acknowledge his meritorious services to mankind by spontaneous national
recognition."
 "a hero must exercise a determinative influence over the spiritual life of his people in an
event of great significance.
 "one must project himself by his own fortitude, effort, and sacrifices to be the beacon light
of his oppressed countrymen to their rightful destiny
The historical committee of the National Heroes Commission came out with the
characteristics of a person to be examined before he could be considered a hero. These are
the extent of the person's sacrifices for the welfare of the country.
1. Motives and methods employed in the attainment of the ideal (e.g., welfare of the country).
In the attainment of the ideal, did the person concerned sacrifice purely and exclusively for
the welfare of the country or were there any selfish or ulterior motives in the making of
such sacrifices? Were the methods employed in the attainment of the ideal morally valid?
2. The moral character of the person. Did he do anything immoral to taint his personal
character? If there was any immorality, did it affect his work, society, or ideal?
3. The influence of the person to his age or epoch and the succeeding eras.

(Judging from these criteria, the considerations for heroism are very stringent and would
subject the person concerned to intense scrutiny. It is aimed to confer the mantle of being
considered a hero to those who are truly deserving, as the word "hero" is overused and
abused nowadays.)

More definitions on what a hero is :

 March 28,1993, then-President Fidel V. Ramos issued Executive Order No.75, creating
the National Heroes Committee whose aim is "to study, evaluate, and explicitly recommend
Filipino national personages as national heroes in due recognition to their sterling character
and remarkable achievements for the country."
 June 3, 1993, a round table discussion, the body adapted the definition of a hero drafted by
Dr. Corpuz, saying "Heroes are those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire
and struggle for the nation's freedom." He also added that "Heroes are those who define
and contribute to a system of life and freedom and order for a nation
(An important element in considering heroism is the person's nationalism, a person could
be considered a hero if he has a concept of nation and thereafter aspires and struggles for
the nation's freedom, the person to be considered a national hero must be guided by the
conviction of national identity. This means that the person must identify himself with the
nation and would be willing to sacrifice for its benefit.
Examples of these persons are Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio,Graciano Lopez Jaena,)
 November 15, 1995, the National Heroes Committee decided to adapt a criteria stating that
"a hero is part of the people's expression However, the process of the people's
internalization of a hero's life and works takes time, with the youth forming part of that
internalization.
 The committee also said that "a hero thinks of the future, especially the future generations."
The choice of a hero, involves not only the recounting of an episode or events in history but
of the entire process that made this person a hero." This involves the understanding of the
historical conditions in which the hero had lived. Dr. Serafin Quiason gave a definition
saying, "a hero is an event-making man who helps create the fork in the historical time that
he faces. Heroes in a democracy should be great figures in the pantheon of thought, the
men of ideas, and social vision of scientific and artistic power."
Philippines has set aside four days to honor its heroes;

 Rizal Day is commemorated every December 30. The origin of this commemoration
came from the decree issued by General Emilio Aguinaldo on December 20, 1898. It
declared the 30th day of December as a national mourning day in honor of Dr. Jose
Rizal and other victims of the Philippine Revolution. Though Aguinaldo's decree did not
specifically declare Rizal as a national hero, it was a tribute to his heroism.
 The other day dedicated to a single Filipino hero is Bonifacio Day which is celebrated
ever November 30. It honors Andres Bonifacio, the founder of the Kataas-taasan,
Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK ANB) which launched
the Philippine Revolution of 1896. The celebration of Bonifacio Day was made
possible by the issuance of Act No. 2946 by the Philippine legislature on
February 16, 1921.
 The third day set aside for commemorating Filipino heroes is the National Heroes Day,
celebrated every last Sunday of August. The celebration of this holiday became
possible in naccordance to Public Act No. 3827 passed by the Philippine legislature on
October 28, 1931. National Heroes Day honors all the heroes of the Philippines
including those who are unknown.
 A fourth holiday was created by President Gloria Macapagal-Arrayo on December 25,
2004, when she signed into law the Republic Act No. 9256, which created This
holiday is commemorated every August 21, the anniversary of the assassination of
then-Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. Ninoy was the leading symbol of the anti-
dictatorship struggle against then- President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Another incident that carved an indelible mark on Jose Rizal's mind was the execution of the
Filipino secular priests Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora. The
three priests were implicated in the Cavite Mutiny of January 20, 1872. The mutiny began
from the discontent of the workers in the Cavite arsenal. The new government of Governor-
General Rafael de Izquierdo revoked their exemption from compulsory labor and imposed tax
deduction on their monthly pay.
The workers were joined by the soldiers of the arsenal led by Sergeant Lamadrid It was
thought that they would be joined by soldiers in Manila who would fire rockets to signal their
joining the insurrection. The ensuing mutiny was quelled by loyal forces.