REFLECTION PAPER ON THE MOVIE “JOSE RIZAL”

By: Kristel A. Catigbe

The life story of Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Realonda has remained a big
impact on me. Upon watching and knowing every details of his life story, firstly, I saw
his vision towards our country that someday, our Motherland will attain its freedom from
Spain and in order for that to happen, there must be someone who has the ability to
awaken and influence the Filipinos to cut the tie that connected them to the Spaniards. In
this trait of Rizal, it taught me to not let my life be ruled by anyone. It taught me to live
with the love of country and its countrymen and those we can live independently.

Secondly, I admired Dr. Jose Rizal for his strong regard to education. He believes
that “Through Education Our Motherland Receives Light” that’s why he made a poem
entitled with this. It showed that education really plays a vital role in the life of every
individual because through education, they will have enough knowledge and enough
learning on how to stand on their own and not with the dictation of other people. We are
given by our Supreme creator with our own eyes, minds, and feet; eyes to view things
clearly, minds to think efficiently, and feet to stand by our own firmly. This entails that
we are not living in this whole wide world to please people, to be dictated by the people
around us but living our lives on how we want it to be.

Thirdly, Rizal’s bravery was fascinating. He fears no one but only God. Jose Rizal
was inimical as to how the friars ruled the church and how the officials of the government
govern the country. The friars treated the girls as beast wherein they were raped and had
been harassed. The government officials enforced force labor for 40 days exclusive only
for Filipino male ages 16 to 60 years old. It has no exemption unless they will pay
“falla”. These were the reasons why Dr. Jose Rizal wrote his two great novels to inform
the people how evil the Spaniards were. He called for reforms in the government but he
was not granted. Equality of opportunities exercised by Spanish people was all he ever
wanted but Spaniards were too cruel and tough on giving it. He was reminded at first that
his works would bring him no good but still he continued it for the sake of the
independence of his countrymen most especially to his beloved country. A person who
resembles Rizal on the present times are the defenders of the poor who fight for equality.

Lastly, one of the traits of Rizal that caught me was his love for his family and for
their strong family relationship that whatever may happen they still remained as one
supporting each other. He loved his mother very much and had dedicated a lot of poems
to his one and only mom Dona Teodora.
 The traits and characteristics of Rizal influenced me as a citizen of the country and
as a child of my parents. Like him, I gave an importance to education, the reason why I
strived hard to finish my studies. Admired him for his bravery and like him, I am brave
not on the same way of his but on the other way around. Being brave to surpass the
challenges in life, to never give up whatever life may bring along the way because I
believe that good things are always on the last part of the story, you just need to endure
pains and challenges to get it. I also love my family like him, despite of our economic
status we still remained as one living a happy and God-fearing relationship.
 REACTION PAPER OF THE MOVIE “JOSE RIZAL”
By: Kristel A. Catigbe

The movie was all about the life of Jose Rizal from the time he was in Ghent,
Belgium during 1895, writing his literary piece and at some parts reminded his life when
he was still a child up to the time he was executed at Bagumbayan. The story entails how
Jose Rizal lived and how he criticized the colonial rule of Spain.

Rizal’s first teacher was his mother Dona Teodora. She taught Rizal to read, write
as well as other languages. The reason why Rizal was already multilingual at the time he
entered into a formal school. After that, Rizal left home for studies and at first he was
reluctant to leave home because he already knew how to read and write but his father told
him that he needs to learn other things and he cannot learn those in the corners of their
house.

Few years later, Dona Teodora was arrested for the accusation of poisoning her
sister-in-law. She stayed in prison for two years.

Rizal studied in Ateneo where his ability to talk and read Spanish and other
languages was enhanced. He was always praised by many because of his intelligence.
Jose Rizal continued his studies at the University of Santo Tomas where he got into
trouble with his colleagues. He was hit by a stone and lost his conscious. He was brought
to the house of his Uncle Antonio who had a daughter named Leonor. Leonor was a
cousin of Rizal and they had a mutual feeling towards each other. During their time, we
saw that having a relationship with a relative was accepted in the society and still exists
today. Why do I say so?, because none of them opposed their relationship. After studying
at UST, Rizal studied in Madrid to continue his dream to be an ophthalmologist to cure
his mother’s eye disease. He still showed his excellency in education in his study
overseas.

While he was in Spain, he made his book Noli Me Tangere where he exposed the
evils and abuses of the Spaniards. The Archdiocese of Manila received the writings of
Rizal and they said that he was dangerous to Spain. The friars burnt the writings of Rizal
so others can’t read it. They prohibited the people from reading Rizal’s literary pieces
because it might arouse rebellion but there were still book which spread stealthily in the
country.

January 1891in Madrid, Spain, the illustrados held a meeting. The purpose of the
meeting was to elect the president but most of them voted for Emilio Aguinaldo and
Rizal did not agreed with it because for him, the person who deserves the right position
was the one who’s after the country’s welfare. So Rizal returned home on July 1892
because of his belief that the real battle was not in Europe but in the Philippines. He
drafted the La Liga Filipina, a constitution whose aims were as follows: (1) to unite the
whole archipelago, (2) mutual protection to each other, (3) defend against all violence
and injustice, (4) encouragement of education, agriculture, and commerce, (5) study and
application of reforms, but La Liga Filipina remained a dream coz’ it has not attained its
objectives.

During 1895, the Katipunan already formed a group or union of people who had
the same aim for the country and that was to gain independence for our Motherland. The
Katipunan was headed by Andres Bonifacio who was called by the Katipuneros as
Supremo. Bonifacio announced the evils of the Spaniards to the Indios wherein the
corrupt officials of Spain govern our country. The officials treated the Filipinos like
beasts and did not just show mercy to them. The Katipunan shouted “Long Live the
Philippines”.

At Malacanan Palace on the year 1896, the officials of Spain already had the idea
of how dangerous Rizal was and that he will be their greatest enemy because he fears no
one so one official said that Rizal should be eliminated coz’ there’s no time if it will take
longer. In the interest of the Spaniards to eliminate Rizal, they caught Paciano—only
brother of Rizal and brought to a place where he experienced brutality, torture and
violence like flogging and being tied and hung as an animal in order to tell information’s
about Rizal and how he was doing against Spain and that Rizal was the mastermind of the
Katipunan. The Spaniards did these things to have strong evidences against Rizal.

On the same year at Rizal’s residence in Tondo, Manila, Rizal’s family packed the
things of Don Francisco Mercado and Paciano for them to escape from the hands of the
Spaniards. Before the guardia civils arrived, Don Francisco and Paciano already left
home.

On November 1896 at Fort Santiago, Rizal was brought there and at the moment
he arrived, he was asked by the officer-in-charge about his personal informations and
later on questioned if he knew about the secret uprising by the Katipunan. Rizal answered
him that if it was a secret why did they knew about it. Another set of questions had
thrown to him and Rizal sarcastically answered.

The following day, Luis Taviel visited Rizal on jail and introduced himself that he
will be his defender. Taviel frankly told Rizal that what he wrote was not an art but rather
propaganda. During this time, Gen. Blanco was the head of the country and Fr. Damaso
—the evil priest told him that while Rizal was alive, there would be no peace. Fr.
Damaso wanted to execute Rizal but Gen. Blanco resisted and said that there was no
sufficient evidence. Gen. Blanco was replaced by a strict Gov. Gen. Polavieja.

Dec. 26, 1896, mock trial of the case of Rizal was conducted. The prosecution told
the council that Rizal was the prime mover of rebellion and therefore they should execute
him. Taviel defended Rizal that what the prosecution had proposed should not be
imposed in the sense that there was no sufficient evidence to prove their accusations. But
still the council was in favour of the prosecution’s side and that was to execute Rizal.
This judicial set-up still prevails in our society. The person who did the crime was the
one who was given the privileged to win the case especially if he’s powerful which
controls everything while the innocent one was the person to be put on jail; a kind of
injustice to the poor.

Dec. 29, 1896, Dona Teodora visited Rizal and their conversation was all about
Rizal’s death. Rizal told her to bury his corpse in the ground, put a stone and a cross with
his name. On this day, the Katipunan decided to rescue Rizal but Paciano stopped them
because according to him, his brother didn’t want to put people at risk. 0n Dec. 30, 1896,
Rizal was executed a Bagumbayan.

As my conclusion to the life story of Rizal, we can see the bravery of Dr. Jose
Rizal during his time. His bravery was influenced by his brother Paciano who at first
place pushed him to write literary pieces targeting the Spanish rule to enlighten and
awaken the Filipinos to no longer be a slave of Spain, they must have their own identity
to be recognized and be respected. It is just sad to know that Rizal did not became
successful in his propagandas in the Philippines just like how he excelled in his academic
subjects while he was young. But his works succeeded in influencing other Filipinos to
continue what he had started, to call for social and political reforms in the country. He
served as the inspiration of Bonifacio for his bravery to revolt against Spaniards until his
death. Knowing these events of the life story of Rizal made me understand why re really
deserves to be our national hero and made me understand why he’s included in the
curriculum for the reason that he will not be forgotten for the things he did and for
sacrificing his life to save us from Spain. He really is a real hero.
 Republic of the Philippines
Region VIII
Naval State University
College of Education
Naval, Biliran

REACTION &
REFLECTION
PAPER
OF JOSE RIZAL

Submitted by: Submitted to:

Kristel A. Catigbe MAJ Alton V. Durano