Summary of Finals Lectures

The final term of the Rizal course in the second semester of the academic year 2020-2021
was composed of the following lectures:
(1) Rizal Law;
(2) The End Part of His Life & His Last Trip to Europe;
(3) “Sa Aking Mga Kababata”, “To the Filipino Youth”, and “Hymn to Labour”;
(4) “To the Flowers of Heidelberg”, “Through Education Motherland Receives Light”, and The Intimate
Alliance Between Religion and Good Education”;
(5) “The Song of the Traveler”, “Mi Retiro”, and “Last Farewell”, and
(6) Letter of Rizal to the Women of Malolos.

Through these lectures, the students grasped a better understanding of Rizal’s

life. These literary works are effective in telling stories that are truly
significant in making sense of his role in Philippine history.

The first lesson was the Rizal law. This law was signed into law as Republic Act
1425 on June 12, 1956, and was created to relive the ideals for which our
national hero exemplified throughout his life. Its objective is clear: to keep
Rizal’s memories alive and to emanate his values as he peacefully fought for
freedom. It particularly required the inclusion in the curricula of all private
and public schools, colleges, and universities the life, works, and writings of
Jose Rizal, particularly his two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
The sponsors of the bill believed that through these novels and Rizal’s other
writings, we can ceaselessly rekindle our dwindling nationalism and strengthen
our nation-building. Though these two are different novels, they both give off a societal message that
calls on every Filipino to recover his self-confidence, to value his personal and racial
worth, to return to and appreciate his heritage, and to assert himself as deserving of equal treatment.

The second lesson was the End Part of His Life & His Last Trip to Europe. 
Part of the end part of Rizal's life dates back to when he formed La Liga
Filipina along with members like Apolinario Mabini, Andres Bonifacio, and other
fellow patriots.  Not too long after this formation, the Spanish
authorities disposed of him by way of exile to Dapitan. After his exile in
Dapitan, he wanted to go to Europe for the next time around but was sent back
because of implications to certain crimes. He was prosecuted and later executed
by firing squad in Manila on December 30, 1896. His death may have ended his
life, but for the Filipino people, it was only a beginning of hope,
aspirations, and long-standing love for our nation. 

The third lesson includes three poems, namely “Sa Aking Mga Kababata”, “To the
Filipino Youth”, and “Hymn to Labour.” “Sa Aking Mga
Kababata,” tells us that there is a clear need to love and appreciate our
own language first before the foreign ones. Rizal believed that if the people
treasured and loved and used their mother tongue, it would become a symbol of
relative freedom and identity. Preservation of our language is also a
preservation of our own identity as Filipinos. “To the Filipino Youth” is
where Rizal puts his trust and confidence in our nation’s youth as the hope of
our future. He advocates that the Philippine youth should leverage their
talents and capabilities in a way that would also ultimately benefit our
motherland.  It is only through knowing and being educated that we can peacefully
fight for our freedom. Lastly, the “Hymn to Labour” praises the hard work of Filipinos and
reminds them that we all have our areas of dominion where we can express our
patriotism for the country - whether it be in peace or war.

The fourth topic consists of, again, three poems including “To the Flowers of Heidelberg”,
“Through Education Motherland Receives Light”, and “The Intimate
Alliance Between Religion and Good Education”. When Rizal was in Germany,
he wrote the poem “To the Flowers of Heidelberg.” This poem is a true
reflection that Rizal in a foreign land sorely missed his family and yearns to
be with them. The poem articulates his longing and unconditional love for his
family, his countrymen, and his nation.  “Through Education Motherland Receives
Light” is a poem written by 15-year old Jose Rizal when he was a student at
Ateneo Municipal of Manila, where he stressed the importance of education in
lifting our country from its unfavourable conditions. It sends a strong message
that through knowledge and education, we can become the nation we have always
aspired to be – freer and self-governing. As he said, “Education uplifts the
dignity of man.” And finally, Rizal wrote “The Intimate Alliance between
Religion and Good Education” to signal the power that education holds if
married with religion. He posits that education without God is not true
education. That is to say, a man who was properly educated needed to apply what
he learned on a spiritual view rather than simply on material achievements.
The fifth topic of the finals centered on three of Rizal’s literary works which include “ The
Song of the Traveler”, “Mi Retiro”, and “My Last Farewell”.
Firstly, “The Song of the Traveler” described Rizal’s loneliness of being an
immigrant who is, by miles, separated from his loved ones.  He was
nostalgic over his life in the Philippines and said that only the memories of
his loved ones kept him company. He even thought of death as a way to conclude
his sufferings. In the end, he realized that dying in a foreign land is futile
and that one should just continue the journey because sadness and remorse will
serve him no purpose at all.  “Mi Retiro” is another poem of Rizal where
he describes his exile in Dapitan as a life lived in an unexciting but fruitful
and peaceful way. Rizal proved that one can live abundantly despite having to
face multiple Gordian knots.  He lived as a merchant and a farmer and
built three geometrically-varied houses made from bamboo, wood, and nipa.
Through “My Last Farewell”, Rizal relayed his last sentiments before he was
about to die for his country. He expresses that nothing is more sublime than
dying in the name of his motherland; hence there was no room for regret, only
gladness.

The last topic of the finals was the Letter of Rizal to the Women of Malolos.
Rizal, in this essay, addresses all kinds of women, including mothers, wives,
and even the unmarried. Here, he expressed his support for women's empowerment
and gender equality by saying that women should be offered the same
opportunities as those received by men in terms of education. For the mothers,
he said that they should be mindful of their image as they have children who
might mirror what they do, both the good and bad. In summary, Rizal conveyed
that mothers should teach their children the love of God, country, and
fellowmen. They should also be glad and honoured to offer their sons in battling
for the country. He added that Filipino women should keep their dignity and
honour by protecting it. Rizal also said that Filipino women, along with
fostering good racial values, should prioritize education as it can be a
powerful tool. Lastly, Rizal emphasizes that faith is not merely reciting
prayers and wearing religious pictures - it is living the real Christian way
with good morals and manners the lessons in the final term unequivocally motivate each student to
appreciate Jose Rizal’s life and to live the way he did. Though we may not be as
intelligent or talented as he was, we understand from his works and writings
that it was his unfaltering nationalism that truly made him the greatest
exemplar of Filipino nobility. His life, until its last minute, was dedicated
to our motherland and its freedom. His works should be a sound reminder for all
Filipinos to love our country, and to contribute, in a noble way, for it to
constantly move forward.

60, Salient Points from Finals Lectures

1. The Rizal law was aimed at calling for a return to patriotic

values enunciated by Filipino heroes like Jose Rizal for nation building.

2. Senator Claro M. Recto filed the Rizal Bill, recognizing the

need to instil heroism among the youth at the time when the country was
experiencing social turmoil. It was enacted by the Congress in the Philippines after
World War II.

3. The Catholic Church assailed the Rizal Bill as anti-Church because

it forces the students to read Rizal's works like the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo which contain passages that were anti-Church. 

4. Senator Recto stood his ground and dared the Catholic Church to
shut down their schools, knowing that this was only an idle threat since the
Catholic learning institutions were its major source of income.

5. After a month-long standoff, a compromise bill was authored by Senator

Jose P. Laurel and on June 12, 1956, Republic Act No. 1425, better known as the
Rizal Law, came into effect.

6. The Rizal Law is more than 50 years old now, and it may need
revisions to make it more relevant.

7. Through this law, courses on the life, works, and writings of

Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
shall be included in the curricula of all schools, colleges, and universities,
public or private. 
8. All schools, colleges, and universities are obliged to keep in
their libraries an adequate number of copies of the original and unexpurgated
editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as Rizal's other
works and biography.

9. The law also allowed the Board of National Education to cause

the translation of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as other
writings of Jose Rizal into English, Tagalog, and the principal Philippine
dialects.

10. The end part of Rizal’s life & his last trip to Europe
started with his way back to Calamba from Hong Kong and the formation of La
Liga Filipina.

11. Rizal founded the La Liga Filipina with members like

Apolinario Mabini, Andres Bonifacio, Ambrosio Salvador, Pedro Serrano Laktaw,
Deodato Arellano, and other patriots

12. To dispose of him, the Spanish authorities deported Rizal to

Dapitan where he lived a productive and purposeful life.

13. Rizal wanted to go to Spain but was sent back because of some
allegations against the Spaniards in the Philippines.

14. In Manila, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago. He was tried on

the charges of sedition, rebellion, and illegal association.

15. He was found guilty and was sentenced to death through a

firing squad on December 30, 1896.

16. When he was eight years old, Rizal wrote “Sa Aking Mga
Kababata” because he wanted to uncover his earliest nationalist sentiment.

17. Rizal proudly and pompously asserted that a people who truly
love their native linguistic communication will decidedly strive for autonomy
like the bird which soars to freer infinite above.

18. To him, language is not simply a communicating tool but as a

look of one’s individuality, of one’s single and societal consciousness.

19. Rizal addressed to us that our own linguistic communication

must be cherished and should not be forgotten because it’s a really valuable
ownership of our own state.

20. Rizal compared the individual who doesn’t love his native
lingua to a putrid fish. Just like a fish which originally lives in water.

21. In “To the Filipino Youth,” Rizal expected the youths to grow
and shine like a flower opening from its overnight closure.

22. All of Rizal’s dreams to the Filipino youths are simply a

replica to what he has done throughout his life.

23. He was more biased towards using one’s own intelligence to

fight against the flaming zone created by the Spaniards, emphasizing the point:
“pen is mightier than a sword.”

24. We must fulfill our responsibilities as we use our skills,

knowledge, talent, and strength in advancing our country. Rizal wants to
communicate the means of making a peaceful process to achieve freedom.

25. “Hymn to Labor” signifies that every Filipino, in his

patriotism, will keep a watchful yet loving eye on his country with equal
passion at wartime and in times of peace.

26. For the men, family and country are inspiration and motivation
enough amidst exhausting labor.

27. The role of a wife during the time of Rizal was plain and
simple: she was the steward of the home, the mother of the children.

28. The poem pays tribute to mothers who dedicate their lives to
the rearing and upbringing of their children, teaching them the right values
and morals to become upright citizens.

29. The third verse of the hymn is sung by maidens, who salute to
labor and encourage the young men to give their lives to hard work and industry
for the good of the nation.

30. The last verse underlines the importance of keeping the

culture and tradition that is handed down to them from the previous generation,
and that they, in future, will hand down to their own sons and daughters.

31. "To the Flowers of Heidelberg" is an articulation of

Rizal’s unconditional love for his family, his countrymen and the nation he
dreams to be.

32. First, the flowers' beauty symbolizes Rizal's love for his
country, and second, the flowers' reduced quality refers to Rizal's useless
presence in another country. 

32. This poem is a true reflection that Rizal in a foreign land

missed his family and longs to be with them as he asked in the poem the maidens
to send his sweet kiss to those whom he respects and loves.

33. "Through Education Motherland Receives Light" is a poem

which “inspires an enchanting virtue and puts the country in the lofty seat of
endless glory” through education.

34. Inspired by the gains he had through education, Rizal

envisioned what education can do to a country if its leadership would be made
up of a new breed of educated youth.

35. Education is needed for one not to be ignorant with the world.
Without education, everything will falter and be nothing.

36. "The Intimate Alliance between Religion and Good

Education" emphasizes that education without religion is comparable to a
vessel lost in a stormy sea.

37. Education without GOD is not true Education. With the aid of
religion, education will be used for the common good.

38. Rizal shared his thoughts about the importance of education to

enlighten the nation which was useful to gain societal freedom for every
nation.

39. "The Song of the Traveler” revolves around the loneliness

of being an immigrant or a traveler. Rizal captures the image of being an
outsider and far away from loved ones.

40. Rizal talks about trying to find happiness in a foreign place

but it seems like it can never be as satisfying as being in the motherland. In
a foreign land, one may feel like he has no purpose or is useless.

41. In this poem, he has thoughts about how maybe death will end
his pain and sufferings however, dying in a foreign land will be a huge waste
because no one will remember him and he will just be soon forgotten by the
people back in his motherland.

42. However, Rizal tells us in the poem that the traveler should
move on and continue your journey because feeling remorse and sadness will do
you no good.

43. "Mi Retiro" describes his exile in Dapitan where,

from 1892 to 1896, he lived an unexciting but fruitful life.

44. Even in his exile, Rizal proved that life can still be
abundant and full of achievements.

45. In the “Last Farewell,” Rizal expresses no regret but only

gladness, knowing that in giving his life, he is giving his country the
greatest gift any citizen could offer.

46. And as one looks forward to heaven, Rizal’s heaven – in these

lines, at least – lies in being buried in the land of his ancestors.
47. He imagines that after his death, he will live on in the bosom
of his motherland, and never cease to enjoy her love, which he begs her to
express with a kiss.
48. Rizal gives his motherland a list of the things he wishes her
to pray for. He remembers all of the martyrs who have suffered the same fate as
he will, who have died for their country.

49. On December 30, 1896, on the day of his execution, Rizal’s

remains were buried in an unmarked grave in the Paco Cemetery. Years later,
however, his remains were exhumed and on December 30, 1912, they were brought
to their final resting place in the base of the monument at Luneta.

50. In this poem, Rizal bids farewell to his one great love – his
country – and yet looks forward to being with God, where there are no slaves,
tyrants or hangmen.

51. Jose Rizal’s legacy to Filipino women is embodied in his

famous essay entitled, “To the Young Women of Malolos,” where he addresses all
kinds of women – mothers, wives, the unmarried, etc. and expresses everything
that he wishes them to keep in mind.

52. Filipino women should educate themselves aside from retaining

their good racial values.

53. In a portion of the letter, Rizal’s ultimate desire was for

women to be offered the same opportunities as those received by men in terms of
education.

54. Qualities Filipino mothers need to possess – as evidenced by

this portion of his letter, Rizal is greatly concerned of the welfare of the
Filipino children and the homes they grow up in.

55. Filipino mothers should teach their children love of God,

country and fellowmen.

56.  Filipino women are known to be submissive, tender, and

loving.  Rizal states in this portion of his letter how Filipino women
ought to be as wives, in order to preserve the identity of the race.

57. Filipino mothers should be glad and honored, like Spartan

mothers, to offer their sons in defense of their country.

58. Filipino women should know how to protect their dignity and
honor.

59. The rejection of the spiritual authority of the friars – not

all of the priests in the country that time embodied the true spirit of Christ
and His Church.  Most of them were corrupted by worldly desires and used
worldly methods to effect change and force discipline among the people.

60. Faith is not merely reciting prayers and wearing religious

pictures. It is living the real Christian way with good morals and manners.
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