NG, DENZEL N.

OCTOBER 15, 2021

Throughout his two novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Rizal's

literature exposed the abuses the Spanish had inflicted on our fellow Filipinos, and his
contributions to sparking the Philippine Revolution should be commended. Rizal's ideas
being still relevant today, however, merely convey that our society has yet to move past
the corruptions and injustices of the past, even though that seems to be one of the
reasons we should praise him. It is hard to imagine how Rizal would view the
Philippines of today if he were alive today. Despite the current lack of a roadmap and
proper vaccine distribution by the current President Rodrigo and his lackeys, the
present still mirrors the past, and the corruption among the officials is still widespread,
with the only difference being that now it is our own fellow Filipinos. As much as our
world has changed today, from social media to technology to how young people's
lifestyles must be innovated by advancing technology, I believe that Dr. Jose Rizal's life
and works are still relevant today as the youth of today can learn many things from him.
Social media has become incredibly popular among young people today. In some
instances, people choose the form of violence rather than thinking about balance.

Upon reading the title of the article, I immediately thought, “Rizal is a national
hero, he probably still has relevance today”. After reading the article, however, I had a
very different opinion. It has been stated previously that Rizal is valid in society right
now for the wrong reasons. In the Philippines, Rizal's ideologies continue to be widely
parroted because corruption did not leave, but rather changed nationalities from
Spaniards to Filipinos. Our youth prefer the culture and works of other nationalities over
our own, which is why Rizal's famous quote about our mother tongue never being
forgotten is still relevant today. When considering Rizal's actions, we should be aware
that violence should never be the key to success, but the pen was instead used to
spread ideas about what our country should be doing. Although he occupies an entirely
different social space from today's society, he is still an excellent example for all youth.
It is important that youth voices are heard regarding Philippine government initiatives.
Nowadays, youth is all about K-pop, but no one is asking why Filipino artists aren't
working on their own form of pop, even though there are many talented Filipinos who
would succeed if Filipinos would give them a chance. This problem extends to our
Filipino movies, where we are known for only our comedy films. On the other hand, we
mostly prefer American movies shown on Netflix, but we overlook Filipino movies that
may even surpass the quality of American movies showing today. As we prefer more
and more foreign cultures, it is evident that Filipino culture is slowly deteriorating. It may
even come to a point where our own culture is forgotten, and our society is left with a
horrifying mix of different cultures blending without defining itself as one cohesive
entity.  
 As Rizal looks back on our country, if he would see it as it stands now, he would
say that his efforts to awaken the consciousness of Filipinos as well as his messages of
love for our own country and other ideals were all futile. In terms of corruption, colonial
mentality, and greed, he would see that society in the Philippines has only changed on
the surface, but that at its core, it still reflects the same traits present during Spanish
rule. If he knew that exposing the wrongdoing of the Spaniards for the good of the
country would have consequences, he had the power to expose the wrongdoings of the
Spanish. In my opinion, learning is important for today's world, since the youth is the
next generation of leaders in the Philippines; society should not underestimate and
ignore the perspective of the youth on political matters because the youth have its own
ideas; as a youth, our opinions are not always right. 

In conclusion, we must become obsolete, not by denouncing him, but rather by

remembering him as a national hero who awoke our fellow Filipinos' consciousness to
the corrupt Spanish rule, and not as the one who will awaken us in this new era. The
obsolescence of Rizal is a symbol of how the country has moved beyond the corrupt
society of the past and has preserved and even honed its Filipino culture. It also means
the Philippines is looking ahead without looking back.