The living souls of Jose Rizal in the COVID19 Outbreak

Covid-19 pandemic is a huge issue not just in the Philippines but also in the other
parts the globe today. Its impact directly affects the society and the people in many
ways. Though, it brought drastic change in the society, it still shows some signs that
people does not give up easily despite the challenges they have faced. These positive
attitude of Filipinos can be reflected with what Jose Rizal did in the past, his attitude
towards the challenges he faced, his morals that helped him stood still, and his
beliefs that gave him courage to face those challenges head-on. We may not be aware
that Jose Rizal’s ideas, values, and characteristics were present in our everyday lives
and actions especially in this pandemic but let’s look at several bases, such as
politics, society, technology, human behavior, family, and education. Let’s get to it
one by one.

Politics. Corruption in the government had its origins during the period of the
ancient Filipinos. These were worsened by the manipulations of the Spanish friars
and bureaucrats with the start of the colonial rule. Jose Rizal’s exposed these
cruelties on his best known and most powerful literary masterpieces - Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Rizal was absolutely sincere in his efforts to bring
about reform, which was the thing adjacent and dearest to his heart. In this
pandemic, Filipinos were not ready. As the COVID case increases, the rate of
malnutrition, poverty, unemployment, and out-of-school youth also arises. This
brought the bravest Filipinos to call the government for primacy, financial aid and
urgent action plan. However, just like Rizal, they were forcefully dragged and
condemned as rebellion. As a living soul of Rizal, Filipinos have this notion to always
fight for justice, freedom, and for the betterment of the whole community.

Society. This pandemic reminds us of Jose Rizal’s dedication to service, he always

found ways to serve the country even if it means risking his life. We are gratified to
appreciate our today’s modern heroes – our brave front liners – who face the
challenge and serve as beacons of hope to the weary of the present global scare. They
have left their families at home and risk their lives every day to save us from the
death-defying virus. Although the support from the administration is unreliable,
they’ve done their jobs honestly and with enthusiasm.
Technology. It’s easier to be like Dr. Jose Rizal these days, thanks to technology.
With the age of the Internet, being like Rizal is much more feasible than in the past
and we could seize the advantages that come with being digital natives. Before, Rizal
used his pen to speak up the truth and inspire other to yearn for resolve. Now, for us,
young “techie” Filipinos, we could maximize the benefits we can derive from the
Internet and use our familiar knowledge of technology to voice out, inspire others, as
well as create solutions to societal problems.

Human behavior. Even though things were pretty rough in the Spanish era, Rizal
maintained being strong-willed despite the things that were thrown against him. He
managed to have a wide thinking of what could happen and the consequences for the
actions he will do and show to the people around him, which today, people can be
seen always keeping their heads up even regardless of the global virus attack. We are
still able to give thanks for the gift of life and blessings coming for us.

Education. One of Rizal’s top priorities have always been with education, for him
being educated is what makes a life of a person fulfilling, and this can be seen on
many students in the country today. Notwithstanding the disruptive effects of the
COVID-19 outbreak, students are still passionate with their education and eager to
pursue education for the sake of attaining a better future. According to Rizal,
“Without education and liberty, which are the soil and the sun of man, no reform is
possible, no measure can give the result desire”.

Family. The culture of the Filipinos is widely known for it being family-oriented,
Jose Rizal was known to be a family guy who grew up having a family around him to
support him, that’s why in times of danger, his family were his walls where he leaned
the most. Almost every Filipino wants to be with their family in this COVID19 strike
as well as overseas Filipino workers want to be with their families in their respective
homes, to support and protect each other in this darkest time.

Jose Rizal is said to have first expressed his sense of nation. Rizal never settled for
mediocrity. He committed to doing things with the best of his ability, time, and
resources. As a Filipino citizen, a living soul or Rizal, we should think like Rizal
especially in this pandemic. We should not let COVID19 hinders our journey towards
our goals. We must see this trial positively and use this pandemic as a time to serve
our family at home, keeping our community safe by wearing face masks, use all our
means of resources to continue education and educating others. Lastly, we should
use this phase to spread love and peace rather than hate and fear because we do not
need negativity in this adverse situation.

References
https://www.wheninmanila.com/impact-of-jose-rizal-in-my-life/

https://mb.com.ph/2019/12/29/use-technology-to-be-like-rizal-solon/

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll39/id/387168

https://nhcp.gov.ph/rizals-cogent-leadership-thought-as-a-model-in-public-
administration/#:~:text=Rizal%20believed%20that%20the%20adoption,the
%20government%20are%20very%20rampant.