Name: Rio Awitin

Course: BM
Schedule: MW/7:20PM-8:50PM
1. From our lessons, what events or circumstances could have contributed to Rizal's
ideologies and principles that led to the enlightenment of the Filipino people? Explain
how such an event influenced him
In the lives of all men there are influences which cause some to be great and others not.
In the case of Rizal, he had all the favorable influences, few other children in his time
enjoyed. These influences were the following: (1) Hereditary Influence, (2) environmental
influence, and (3) aid of divine providence. In the life of Jose Rizal, many events
happened during his journey to life. Many people are related to these events that make
him inspired to make many ideas that enlightened the Filipinos in their lives. The most
related person who is the main reason why Rizal got this far in his life is his mother,
Doña Teodora. His mother is his first teacher in life. She taught Rizal many things and
help him to be a successful person in the future. When his mother was captured
because of false acquisition, Rizal is unfortunate and made himself a more strong
person to overcome his weakness. Jose Rizal unlocked his inspirations at a young age
and activated his love for God, family, education, and many other things.
2. What were Rizal's bad impressions about the US? Explain each briefly. (5)

One bad impression Rizal had of America was the lack of racial equality. Because there
is racial prejudice, which was inconsistent with the principles of democracy and freedom,
Americans talk so much but did not practice. Thus, he wrote to Ponce: "They do not
have true civil liberty. In some states, the Negro cannot marry a White woman. Nor a
White man a Negress. Hatred against the Chinese leads to difficulty for other Asiatics
who, like the Japanese, are mistaken for Chinese by the ignorant, and therefore being
disliked, too."

3. Blumentritt wrote a preface for Rizal's annotated version of Sucesos. He mentioned that
Filipinos were already a civilized nation even before the coming of the spaniards. Cite
examples that would support this. (5)

Blumentritt frankly censured Rizal for two things, which revealed Rizal's errors, namely:
Rizal commits the mistake of many historians in appraising the events Of the past in the
light of present standards, and Rizal's attacks on the Church were unfair and unjustified
because the abuses of the friars should not be construed to mean that Catholicism is
bad.

4. Why did Rizal have to go on a transcontinental trip in the US? (5)

Rizal has to go on a transcontinental trip to the US because he wants to improve his

English language knowledge. To study and annotate Morga's Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas. a rare copy of which he heard to be available in the British Museum. And
London was a safe place for him to carry on his fight against Spanish tyranny.
5. How did Rizal and Tetcho Suehiro met and what were the inspirations that Tetcho has
drawn from Rizal? (5) Write an open letter to Rizal (minimum = 4 paragraphs) asking him
to continue playing his past historic role of inspiring our people to face well the
challenges of our own period (present) to attain our collective and individual upliftment
and empowerment. (15 points)

Another passenger which Rizal befriend on the board of Belgic was Tetcho Suehiro, a
fighting Japanese journalist, novelist, and champion of human rights, who was forced by
the Japanese government to leave the country. Rizal has compelled to leave the
Philippines by the Spanish authorities. Rizal and Tetcho were kindred spirits. Both were
valiant patriots, implacable foes of injustice and tyranny. Both were men of exact using
their trenchant pens as formidable weapons to fight for their peoples' welfare and
happiness.

Dear Rizal,

Greetings with Gratitude and Power!

First of all, I'd like to thank you for fighting our country because of your exceptional
service to mankind. Your literary works are filled with honesty and love for the country.
You have been an inspiration not just to me but also to all the young Filipino people.
Your heroism will remain in every Filipino's heart. Because we always believe that
knowing the life of our hero is knowing how to be a Filipino. All your struggle for this
country's independence from the Spaniards' inconsiderate treatment has created a
revolution that allowed others to fight back and aid in developing today's state of youth.

Today's generation, our nationalism, slowly gets lost in our nature. Many people change
in different ways—many people change how they treat their country and how they see
the culture within it. Many people here forget about what culture they have. They don't
apply the beliefs and culture that we have before in the present time. We hope that will
continue your legacy and reflect your image in the hope of the youth. He wanted to
break free the Filipinos against the Spanish, but not in the use of weapons or resistance
to Spanish but used his talents to open Filipinos' minds.

If you were alive today, surely you would also be active in social media. You would have
opened a social media account where many would add you as following, and like every
post/saying, you would write in your status update. Unlike today's youth, you would use
your Facebook account or other social media account that bring awareness of what is
happening to our nation. For sure, most of the time, you would post status update
against the corrupt politicians we have now. You would have made a blog site where you
would openly write articles on what is happening not only to our nation but the world as a
whole. Maybe there you would write snippets of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
Maybe if people read your blog, it would inspire us to do something for our country. And
maybe if our nation's leaders would read your blog, they would be ashamed of what they
are doing now to our nation. And perhaps once and for all, graft and corruption will stop.

If you were alive, you would feel how strange you don't know the youth. I would assume
that you would write another good story, your disgust to the present youth.

Sincerely yours,

Rio Awitin