M kRepublic of the Philippines

Bicol University
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
Daraga, Albay

REFLECTION PAPER

MR. GLENTON O. GUIRIBA

RPH PROFESSOR

JOYCE ERICA M. SEGOVIA

AB POLITICAL SCIENCE 1B
 M kRepublic of the Philippines
Bicol University
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
Daraga,
Albay

A reflection paper about

“ TORTYUR: Human Rights Violation During The Marcos Regime”
By Michae Charles Chua

Martial law was the dark age in the Philippine history. Marcos regime and Martial law is
historically remembered for his horrendous acts that violated the rights of individuals thus
disobeying human rights.
 k Republic of the Philippines
Bicol
University
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
Daraga,
Albay

A Reflection paper about the Rizal Law

Majority of college students nowadays may not be aware of it, but the Rizal course in
which they take part to is actually required by law and, the youth couldn’t have envisioned
how much debate that law generated in its time.

The works of Dr. Jose Rizal, especially the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
are excellent inspiring sources of nationalism or patriotism in which the Filipino youths
should also recognize and put into practice. Since also in school, the minds of these youths
are carefully molded with proper knowledge and discipline. Therefore, in school, the enacted
curricula, course or subject is also a way of teaching the youths of being a good Filipino
citizen.

The Rizal Law was passed on June 1956. The language of the law itself already shows the
signs of controversy for: “Section 1. Courses in the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal
shall be taught in all schools whether it is public or private. Provided, That in collegiate
programs/courses, the original or unexpurgated editions of the books Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo or their English translation shall be used as basic texts.
On the other hand, minor occurrences have already violated this law. The use of the English
translation as an alternative medium is already a contrast to the objectives of the law. The
law should also recognize our national language and not the English language but this
implementation may be difficult due to colonial mentality and the recent issue of
globalization. Certain primers, readers, and textbooks that are used in certain public schools
with only a few funds for good education had already edited the original texts to different
explanations and views that had led to a confusion or false knowledge to the students. But
sad to say, there is not enough implementation of laws that can control this problem in our
poor country.

Many other violations of the law had been done and ignored. Adequate amounts of copies are
not available in public schools due to the massive graft and corruption of some public
officials. I think that a revision of the Rizal Law should be considered or, in a hard way, the
law should be more strictly practiced and penalized so hat somehow, or in some way,
appreciation and recognition of the love of country is truly practiced.
 kRepublic of the Philippines
Bicol
University
College of Social Sciences and
Philosophy
Daraga, Albay

A reflection paper about “ Jose Rizal: Biographical Sketch”

Jose Rizal is well known for us Filipinos and even in other countries. Since I was a
child I can hear his name, and that he is our natonal hero. Even children nowadays, if you’ll
ask them if they know Jose Rizal, they would probably say,yes. In school, we were taught by
our teachers who are our national her. But really who is Jose Rizal? How well do we know
him?

Jose protacio Rizal Mercado Y Alonso Realonda is the national hero of the
Philippines. He is well known for being a propagandist and in his ways of fighting the
spanish Government through his writings, by revealing the inhumane manipulation of
spanish government in the Philippines. He was a prolific writer, poet, and an essayist. He
was a major advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the spanish colonial era.

Among all other Filipinos who have spent their lives in the service of their country. The
highest place of honor belongs to Dr. Jose Rizal. He uses pen as a weapon that sparked the
flame of revolution against spanish colonialism.
He was an expert swordsman and a good shot. In the hope of securing political and social
reforms for his country and at the same time educate his countrymen. Rizal is the greatest
apostle of Filipino nationalism, some of his works are highly nationalistic and has
revolutionary tendencies.

His two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo were social comentaries that
revealed the injustices of the spanish colonization. The Noli Me Tangere “ a social cancer”,
is a sweeping and passionate unmasking of the brutality and corruption of the colonizers rule
in the country. While El Filibusterismo “ The reign of the greed”, was a sequel of his book
Noli Me tangere. Rizal wrote this in dedication to the three martyr priests, expressing
conviction that the treatment and their death was unjust under the hands of the spanish
authorities. Rizal wants to awaken the nationalism of the filipinos for them to fight back and
protect their country even if it worth their lives. Rizal’s most potent insights into political
and social orders are undoubtedly contained in this two novels.

Hence, Rizal provoked the animosity of those in power and this led himself, his relatives
and countrymen into trouble with the Spanish officials of the country. As a consequence, he
and those who had contacts with him, were shadowed; the authorities were not only finding
faults but even fabricating charges to pin him down. Thus, he was imprisoned in Fort
Santiago on a charge that anti-friar pamphlets were found in the luggage of his sister Lucia
who arrive with him from Hong Kong. During the time of Philippine revolution, his enemies
were able to enlist witnesses that linked him to the revolt. And again he was imprisoned in
Fort Santiago. In his prison cell, he wrote an untitled poem, now known as “Mi Ultimo
Adios” which is considered a masterpiece and a living document expressing not only the
hero’s great love of country but also that of all Filipinos. After a mock trial, he was convicted
of rebellion, sedition and of forming illegal association. In the cold morning of December 30,
1896, Rizal, a man who is the greatest apostle of Filipino nationalism, was shot at
Bagumbayan Field.
 K
Republic of the Philippines
Bicol
University
College of Social Sciences and
Philosophy

Daraga, Albay

A reflection paper about “A La Juventud Filibusteros”

(A Re-examination of Jose Rizal’s Second Novel El filibusterismo)

According to Dr. Jose P. Rizal, “ Kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan”

Last semester I have taken my rizal subject, And I can still remenber that our
professor also asked us the same questions that are also written in the readings. When our
professor asked us are asked who is Jose Rizal: The common answers would be is that; he is
our national hero. But really who is Dr. Jose Rizal? except for knowing that he is the national
hero. How do we know him? Ofcourse, since elementary and highschool Rizal was
introduced to us, his life, writings, how he lived. And up until now in college Rizal is being
taught to us. If we would analyze that since elementary up until college Rizal is being taught
to us, we are familiar, or should I say know him well. So, how do we know rizal? How well
do you know Rizal? And when our teacher asked us how do we emulate rizal? The room
was filled with silence, and some of my classmates answered “By loving our culture”,
“Buying our own products”.
 According to Torres, How we know rizal is still a problem up to this present
times.We know him as our national hero but how do we relate ourselves to him. How can we
become like Jose Rizal? What should we do to follow his ideals? Maybe the reason why we
can’t relate to his ideals is that weset him apart because he is a hero, nationalistic, “perfect”.
We set him apart from us that we cannot be like him nor surpass what he have done. To
quote what Torres have said “I guess the reason behind this is the same one on how history is
taught. Students learn Rizal knowing the Who, What, Where, and When. But because they
are made to memorize it, they forget it as soon as they pass the course. Worse the
information they learn is sometimes erroneous or outdated.” Iguess this is right in some
point, but we don’t forget it at all, we just disregard the informations and maybe forgotten
already some.

For me, I think we can be like him. Rizal was shaped by his surroundings, by the
society. He was aware of what was happening and he wants to make a change. As seen in his
writings. We can see the transition of the character of Crisostomo Ibarra, a character in his
novel Noli to Simoun, a charter in El Filibusterismo. A darker side of Noli’s Crisostomo.

El Filibusterismo is Rizal’s second novel, a sequel of Noli me tangere. The Fili talks
about filibusterismo or “filibusters” which means roughly, a “troublemaker” or one who also
goes against the government. Who among the characters is the filibustero? Some would
probably answer, and even me that it’s Simoun because he is the one who palnned a
revolution. But as I’ve read the readings I’ve realize that it has a point. It’s not simoun who
is the filibuster. The characters who pushed for change – a revolution – an idea that they
would like to give for them to succeed in their education These were the university students
– Basilio, Juanito Pelaez, Makaraig, Placido Penitente, and others. The young men who
decided to better themselves in their studies by putting together a plan to put up an academy
to learn Spanish. A school that, in their ambitious plan, was supposed be made a part of the
university. what happened? Their planned academy was shot down in an instant by the
colonial authorities. And to add salt to their wounds, the students were accused of 7 being
troublemakers. Filibusteros. And when trouble began because of their protests, they became
the victims of the colonial cruelty of their country .The Fili is not a novel about being anti-
revolutionary. It is a novel about the youth. The protagonists here who were to make a
difference are the students Note also that the characters who move the play are young - Huli,
Basilio, Paulita Gomez, Makaraig, Isagani, and Tano.

So, Is El filibusterismo about revolution? Yes,It is about a revolution. But not a

revolution that we have always envisioned: an armed revolution that ends with a change
from the result of violence and bloodshed. Rather it is a revolution of a peaceful change – the
kind that Rizal said would be realized if the Filipino bettered themselves for their
Motherland. A revolution that would be peaceful if one uses his intellect to make the change.
But unfortunately, it is not a change that would come immediately. For Rizal, it was a slow
process – one probably that his generation would only play a small part. For the revolution
would be done by the youth of the next generation. And this is the second point of what the
Fili was all about. Rizal already began this idea in the El filibusterismo using education and
language as the key points. Rizal presents his challenge to the youth in the words of Padre
Florentino to continue on with their revolution.“Nasaan ang kabataang dapat mag-alay ng
kaniyang kasariwaan, ng kaniyang mga panaginip at sigasig ukol sa kabutihan ng kaniyang
Inang Bayan? Nasaan siya na dapat kusang-loob na magbuhos ng kaniyang dugo upang
mahugasan ang napakaraming kahihiyan, ang napakaraming pagkakasala, ang napakaraming
kasuklam-suklam? Dalisay at walang batik dapat ang alay upang tanggapin ang kanyang
paghahandog!.... Nasaan kayo, mga kabataan, na magsasakatauhan sa sigla ng buhay sa
aming mga ugat, sa kadalisayan ng pag-iisip na nabulok sa aming mga utak, sa apoy ng
sigasig na napugto sa aming mga puso? Hinihintay namin kayo, O mga kabataan! Halikayo,
sapagka’t hinihintay namin kayo!” If we would like to talk about La Juventud Filipina – the
Filipino youth – let the poem be the start of Rizal’s dream. And the Fili as the literary work
that showed his plans for these young men and women.

This is the challenge of Dr. Jose rizal for us, the youth.. The future of our nation lies on the
hands of the youth of today. More so,we have the power to reshape the nation's present
appearance. However, this meaningful and echoing idiom has been passing through our ears
for years butit seems that no improvement has evolved.
People just keep on murmuring this line but they take no move
totoactuate their stand. Even though there are few who really pursue their patriotism, they are
overshadowed by the many that decline to move. The progress of a nation does not solely
depend on the youth, but on all the people. Hopefully, we the youth of today can make it. We
wanto to make change and we want our voices to be heard.

Republic of the Philippines

]Bicol
University
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy

Daraga, Albay

A reflection paper about “ Dr. Jose Rizal: The Foremost Filipino Deist

The paper revolves on deism. To our minds we're thinking what does being deist
mean? In my own understanding being deist is the belief that God has created the
universe but remains apart from it and permits his creation to administer itself through
natural laws. It also rejects the supernatural aspects of religion, such as beliefs in
revalation in the bible and it also stresses the importance of ethical conduct.

Rizal was the target of the church for his belief and opinions on the norms and
beliefs of the church are ludacris as he stated through his own perception and opinion
people began to choose the path of deism because of him and making a following in the
process without his prior knowledge Rizal then became an enemy of the church.
Rizal was actually a deist. He had a firm belief in God but he rejected revealed religion.
When we say revealed religion, it refers to a religion that bases its teachings on a supposed
revelation from God contained in “holy books” and/or traditions handed down from
generations to generations. One can read Rizal’s exposition on this subject in his
correspondence with a Jesuit priest, Fr. Pablo Pastells, who was actually his spiritual director
during his youthful years in Ateneo. The exchange occurred when Rizal was in an exile in
Dapitan and when Fr. Pastells was already the Superior of the Philippine Mission of the
Society of Jesus.

Therefore, our national hero, who was incontestably intelligent and no doubt studied these
matters carefully, came to arrive at a very simple religious philosophy that was attuned to be
one of the foundations of the Filipino nation; attuned to his aspirations of independence,
academic and religious freedom for our country.