Chapter 1 ‘Tie Stupy or Ruzay Course: REVERENCE _ Wirnour Unversranpina* net dental orn fend eat Ambeth amp Introduction “Taking up Rizal course for credits, like reading Shakespeare to get by in English courses, can be tiresome business for the ‘youth, Ifreading and discussing the texts cant be fan, but boring, Rizal will be nothing more than a label for beds, matches, cements, and corporations.* "There's much more to the Rero land martyr than an abject of reverence oF a handy tool for inane Speeches and erations. His works must berelected on not smply Decauseit isa solemn duty but mainly Because they are relevant to our ime and place.” Reverencawithout understanding i for deities, notflesh and ‘blood heroes like Rial. To be able to appreciate aera for that zmatter, we must be able to learn more about him—net merely However, it as been observed that in studying Rizal, Filipinos ‘seem to portray him as somewhat of a God. “i Rizal is treated ‘To study Rizal deeper means seeing him as he truly was— compassionate, nationalistic, intelligent, courageous, but also Short tempered, womanizer, gambler, violent and sometimes rash which only show his being human. Thus, only when we realize that he was ike us wil we realize 100,le Patriotic Objectives of Rizal Law Today, more than any other period of our history, “there ina heed for a rededication to the ideals of frectiom an gatreions for our heroes who lived and died, In honoring cet mene particularly the national hero and patriot, Jose Rica, we remember with special fondness and devotion their lives and ‘works that helped shape our national character. The lif, wots ‘and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels, Not Me Tangere and Bi Filbusterismo, afe a constant and inspiring source of patriotism of the youth, especially during their formative and ‘ecisive years in school Particularly, the Rizal Law aims 1. to recognize the relevance of Rizal's ideals, thoughts, ‘teachings, and life-values to present conditions in the community and the country and apply them in the Solution of day-to-day situations and problems of _ contemporary life; 2, to develop an understanding and appreciation of the qualities, behavior, and character of Rizal, as well as hhis thoughts and ideas, and thus foster the development ‘of moral character, personal discipline, citizenship, and ‘vocational eficiency: to comply with the patriotic objectives ofthe Rizal Law given by the Inte Senator Jose P. Laurel Rizal was the founder of the Plipino nationality, He was the architect ofthe iipina natin... [dare ‘say that we eannot know him without knowing and {imbibing the great principles and ideals for which Ihe stood dnd died. Rizal believed as we should that iwe teach the young men and the young women, the boys and girls in all schools that virtue is the only foundation of national greatness.* e Laurel continues: By approving this measure..it is hoped that the future generations and the generations after lus by reading the life, teachings, courage, and determination in order that we may continue forward our never ending pilgrimage to full ‘greater and more abundant life* “Tow Shtyo Ra Cas: Revers tou Uno ‘An Example of Sacrifice” ‘ational hero, was a man of peace with a visto, He puld have enjoyed theft otitis eunents gee he emalnig days of his fe ebbing eoows wih the prety Spanish officials and the new enlightened Filipino “ilustradoct {0 which he belonged, but he dared tobe dftetny oe ‘The amazing thing about the man was thet he chose not to take up the gun against the oppressive Spanish greece and the Dominican friars, Instead he worked through pened sean ofeforms to sek equally for his people under Spanith Rizal suffered as much as his countrymen, He sojourned. broad and traveled (rom country to country while preparing his two novels—the Notiand the Flwhich gave the word ft first insight into conditions inthe Philippines. He was the fest Asian tobe readin the West. He was the spark that gave bth 1 Philippine pride for one's country and people. All during this fime he hungered to be back home and when he retired ‘knowing flly well that eno longer eld his le in his hand, he returned joyously tothe land of hie birth His suferings were compounded bythe fac that his parents land brothers and sisters had been persecuted by the Spanish fgovernment, Soine of them, particularly his mother were even Jalled for time. Yet all he wanted for his people was that they educate themselves so that they could stand as free men and face the ‘world with head held high. ll he wanted from them was that they remember him ever if fora moment fr the work he i for them. In aletter to his good friend Dr. Ferdinand Blumentit, he sai Whatever our condition might be then, let us love our country aay and let us wish nothing but her welfare. Tes we shall labor in conformity wih the purpose of humanity dictated by God which is the harmony and Lnversal peace of His creatures. tong today holds eed inhi hands and governs hin uncut hoses al hana mich tore ose Ral ‘who aptly sidTe Be sting cary nox Rizal, His Ideas: A Reply to the Challenges of Our Millennium* ‘Jose Rizal is indeed pre-eminent among the national heroes of the Philippines, and is thus revered by the Filipino nation sense of justice and family solidarity, and the Lot oftrath with whieh he pursued and foster Flipino Nation hood standard ‘the nobility oThiscatse to found Above all, his pre-eminence is derived from the very fact that he validated alls social and civic virtues, embodied a he noblest aspirations for his country and people, by consciously and clear-eadedly accepting the ultimate sacrifice of death fy ‘ther words, his avowal oflove of country and heroiors es act ‘mere word of mouth, but manifested by pristine martyrdom the tragic feld of Bagumbayan, now the Luneta, on December 30, 1896, Rizal the man stands among those few that are companion to'no particular epoch or continent, who belong to the world, ‘and whose lives have a universal message. His feld of action ly’ in the strife of polities and power, but these were not to his {nelination, He shouldered his political burden soelyn the ease of duty, a circumstance rendering him one of those figures rare in human affairs, a revolutionary without hatreg, and & lender ‘without worldly ambition. Where his tre inlination lay i finely demonstrated in his life by the fact that his works in science, history, and literature, and his profession ax an ophthalmic ‘surgeon, share a single, identical aim—to shed illumination and ive sight to the blind. ‘These basic virtues of Riza, indicate cogently the reason and validity of a grateful nation acclaiming him the foremost national hero. Buen as a boy of eight, Rizal already nurtured with deep affection the very concept of @ a ais rational ey, re a en when he wrote his frst poem in Tagalog entitled “Se A nga Kabata,” he already evinced a consciousness of national language, indeed a vital element in the very Conception itself of Philippine nationhood." The Soy aa Cue: Rewer ibe Untesanang- a soc Riz exemplified vires of honesty, personal inte, Socal values of unity, peace, justice, mee eae ‘ite tnd ere n armas Pope, ‘Our reply to these questions will take a measure of our ‘confidence and ath inthe goals and guidance set a ho sia =sed inthe alm ample y ideals and aspirations that ne ‘urtured for his people, for which he demersecied nati commitment with his death, In this millennium, tis not outlandish to predic those basic values of human honor and dignity, the same aspirations for freedom and independence of peopies everywhere, the tame ‘atural desire for mutual respect, matesal wellbeing In ret the very values and virtues embodied in the apis of REALI¢o vwillform the core of humanity's aspirations despite adjustments that must be accommodated ‘by the new reality of crewed technology and scientific advances far superior than the knowledge in the previous millenium Rizal: A Modern Day Hero” ‘A Victorian hero s our usual portrait of Rizal He is usually presented in textbooks as the oriental knight in shining ermor Prudent, dashing, cool under pressure ‘According to Nic Joaquin, Rizal was grestly aguricved by his physique. When Rizal waa young, he was always tensed his sisters because of his frail body and often dereribed a8 very tiny child with a disproportionaely big head that he cared ven in his adulthood, ‘When the young Rizal was in the early stage ofadslescence, he strove to erase his puny image. He became interested in body Dbulling and athletics but his feelings of inferionty had made an inde maskn hin ul iw eer une ene fof inaderuacy which explain histo sustain relationships ‘with women and grest dread for reaponsbit sy int ny ap ae i ir cents ics aca tea etna lnk wef be ter thn rs sea srs eee ce rich own eit erties pect sip yo ny ie Se eke a cep Better{6 -Jote Ret: The Man and he Hero