Causing, Angelo Josh T.

February 06, 2023

Class Code: 16-182

Preparatory Activity Assessment 3: Reply 2023

A.

Youth of our country

Today's students are urged to explore our world and create new things and ideas.

Curiosity is what every youth has to know, such as things that they want to learn and

experience. Dr. Jose Rizal wanted and hoped that the young of his homeland would follow his

beliefs out of love for their country. As a Filipino youth, I perceive responsibility and obligation

to provide for our country in terms of growth and a better way of life. In this poem created by

Rizal himself, I will give my reply or response along with my reflection on the three main

points or ideas of the poem entitled “To the Filipino Youth.”

The first stanza is what I want to give my reply. First, it mainly says that Dr. Jose Rizal

encourages the youth to be proud of themselves since they have talents, skills, and abilities that

would make their country proud. Most Filipino youngsters are indeed full of talent up until

today; usually, the most recognized youths are singers, inventors, and artists. I genuinely agree

with Rizal’s point in the first stanza because Filipino youth must be determined and use their

skills and talents for our country to progress. Furthermore, it will also recognize the uniqueness

of every Filipino child to other countries. The second point I want to emphasize is that Rizal

said that youngsters have an impetus in their minds and can bring to life or animate even the

most dead and immobile objects, such as a hard rock. I was intrigued at this point because I

can relate to this in politics. For instance, diligence must be recognizable instead of intelligence
because you can be intelligent without giving off negativity or taking advantage of the

intelligence you have. Furthermore, it may be interpreted that education can improve and

upgrade the intellect of the youth so that it can operate to its most significant potential. Finally,

the last stanza is the last point I noticed; Rizal wishes the youth to run for a magnificent crown

or perhaps a reward to recognize their efforts and unique talents that await them from afar. An

empowering stanza ends the poem for readers to feel empowered to do something Rizal wanted

us, the youth, to accomplish in our country. Rizal implies that we must adopt the proper attitude

to be as proficient as other leading countries. Because our intelligence as Filipino adolescents

is the same as that of others, we should use it in the same way they do for the advancement and

growth of our nation. We should run in such a way that we aim higher since the benefits will

be more considerable. Many young people in our culture aspire to be academics, and we know

that we will be the ones to rule our society and lead the country forward one day.

To conclude, our duty today as Filipino youth relies on our future, especially our

country. The three main points told us that we should start doing rather than waiting because

we play a significant role in to progress of our country. Dr. Jose Rizal did not write a piece for

us to read but to understand and apply its meaning and lessons. The work is not only recognized

for its skill but also as a part of literature that empowers, encourages, and depicts the lives of

Filipino adolescents. (561 words)

B.

Young Women of Malolos

Jose Rizal promotes equality for everyone, especially when he emphasizes women’s

rights in society which led to an impact on our Filipino people in the present time. According

to an article by Senator Sonny Angara (2022), The Philippines has a perfect score regarding

laws and regulations affecting women's work, wages, and entrepreneurship. There are no legal

impediments to women working, receiving equal pay, or starting a company. In this section, I

will be giving my response to Rizal’s letter to the young women of Malolos.

The main point I firstly want to give emphasis on is how Rizal was impressed by the

fighting spirit of the young women of Malolos. I agree with this point because not just the

fighting spirit of the young women of Malolos emphasizes women’s empowerment but also

our modern Filipino women today. I can relate this to the present time for women should stand

up and fight their battles, they are strong as men because in the essence of equality, a woman

can also do a man’s job and it is important for us Filipinos to put this in our minds and give

recognition to our young Filipino women today. The second point comes from the salient

points, and that is the rejection of the spiritual authority of the friars. This point depicts how

the higher-ups abuse their power to control or manipulate people who are of low rank in society.

This point is a powerful tactic that everyone should know, and we should use it to tolerate

unthinking loyalty to those in authority. To give context in our modern times, it is very common

that there are a lot of people who crave power to manipulate and get what they desire. We,

Filipinos should not tolerate this kind of behavior and serve those who are right for the higher-
ups. Finally, the last salient point I would like to emphasize is counsel to young women on

their choice of a lifetime partner. I agree with Rizal's assessment of women being attracted to

males just because of their appearance. Women should look for a partner who will do more

than the essential minimum. A Filipina should be drawn to her partner's personality more than

their physical looks. In the current year, many women are mistreated in relationships because

they seek their partners for the only purpose that their spouse is attractive and might improve

their social image. Nowadays, we frequently see men who go above and beyond for their

girlfriends and have a terrific overall character.

To conclude, Rizal’s letter to the young women of Malolos gave us a lesson that women

should be treated equally, we should not tolerate those who abuse power over us, and finally

making the right decisions to treat other people fairly. These main three points distinguish how

we should act like how Rizal wanted us Filipinos to be and be a role model to society that will

bring success to our country.

REFERENCES:

Angara, S. (2022). Women empowerment in the Philippines. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved from:

https://mb.com.ph/2022/03/20/women-empowerment-in-the-

philippines/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%202022%20report,or%20to%20start%20a%2

0business.