VILLAMOR COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS, INC.

Please note that this module is strictly for students officially enrolled in Villamor College o f Business and Arts.
Re-printing, re-distribution, or re-selling of the module is strictly prohibited by the institution.

SUBJECT CODE CORE 9

SUBJECT DESCRIPTION 21st Century Literature From the Philippines and the
World
MODULE DESCRIPTION Module No. 2
OBJECTIVE OF THIS The learner will be able to understand and appreciate
MODULE: the elements and contexts of 21st century Philippine
literature from the regions
DURATION One week

The Death of a Hero

Did you know that Dr. Jose Rizal is not the Philippines’ national hero? According
to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA 2011), there has been no
official proclamation of any Filipino historical figure as our national hero. The NCCA
states, “Even Jose Rizal, considered as the greatest among the Filipino heroes, was
not explicitly proclaimed as a national hero. The position he now holds in the Philippine
history is a tribute to the continued veneration or acclamation of the people in
recognition of his contribution to the significant social transformations that took place
in our country.”
The Poem you are about to read is an imagined narrative by a priest of the Ateneo,
Padre Faura, on how he feels about his old student, Jose Rizal.

José Rizal
José Rizal (1861-1896) was a national hero of the Philippines and the first Asian
nationalist. He expressed the growing national consciousness of many Filipinos who
opposed Spanish colonial tyranny and aspired to attain democratic rights.

José Rizal was born in Calamba, Laguna, on June 19, 1861, to a well-to-do family. He
studied at the Jesuit Ateneo Municipal in Manila and won many literary honors and
prizes. He obtained a bachelor of arts degree with highest honors in 1877. For a time he
studied at the University of Santo Tomas, and in 1882 he left for Spain to enter the
Central University of Madrid, where he completed his medical and humanistic studies.

Please note that this module is strictly for students officially enrolled in Villamor College of Business and
Arts. Reprinting, re-distribution, or re-selling of the module is strictly prohibited by the institution.
 VILLAMOR COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS, INC.
Please note that this module is strictly for students officially enrolled in Villamor College o f Business and Arts.
Re-printing, re-distribution, or re-selling of the module is strictly prohibited by the institution.

Padre Faura Witnesses the Execution of Rizal

By Danton Remoto

I stand on the roof

Of the Ateneo municipal,

Shivering

On this December morning.

Months ago,

Pepe came to me

In the observatory.

I thought we would talk

About the stars

That do not collide

In the sky:

Instead, he asked me about purgatory

(His cheeks still ruddy

From the sudden sun

After the bitter winters

In Europe)

And on this day

Please note that this module is strictly for students officially enrolled in Villamor College of Business and
Arts. Reprinting, re-distribution, or re-selling of the module is strictly prohibited by the institution.
 VILLAMOR COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS, INC.
Please note that this module is strictly for students officially enrolled in Villamor College o f Business and Arts.
Re-printing, re-distribution, or re-selling of the module is strictly prohibited by the institution.

With the years beginning to turn,

Salt things my eyes.

I see Pepe,

A blur

Between the soldiers

With their Mausers raised

And the early morning’s

Star:

Still shimmering

Even if millions of miles away,

The star itself

Is already dead

AFTER READING THE POEM

Activity 2

A. Watch the Joey Ayala song Mi Ultimo Adios with English Subtitles on youtube. Watch
and analyze the message of it.

Make a reflection paper with 300 words or more about the song.

B. Write and Record a short-spoken poetry about Jose Rizal. You may use lines from either
Rizal or Remoto’s Poem. The rubrics in grading your spoken poetry will be as follows:
• 40% Creativity
• 30% Originality
• 30% Delivery

Please note that this module is strictly for students officially enrolled in Villamor College of Business and
Arts. Reprinting, re-distribution, or re-selling of the module is strictly prohibited by the institution.
 VILLAMOR COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS, INC.
Please note that this module is strictly for students officially enrolled in Villamor College o f Business and Arts.
Re-printing, re-distribution, or re-selling of the module is strictly prohibited by the institution.

Questions for Review

1. Why do people often compare and contrast Rizal and Bonifacio?

2. Do you consider Jose Rizal a revolutionary? Why or Why not?

Please note that this module is strictly for students officially enrolled in Villamor College of Business and
Arts. Reprinting, re-distribution, or re-selling of the module is strictly prohibited by the institution.