THE MAKING OF A

LEADER
✓ LO1: Trace the story that made Dr. Jose P. Rizal as the foremost
Philippine National Hero.
✓ LO2: Discuss why the concept that pen is mightier than the sword.

Prepared by: Emily S. Canada, RPm

RIZAL AS A HERO: WHY IS RIZAL THE
FOREMOST NATIONAL HERO?
Three reason as why Rizal is our national hero:

1. His Writings

2. His Person

3. He is being honoured by public

FIRST REASON: RIZAL’S WRITINGS
RIZAL TOOK AN ‘ADMIRABLE PART’ IN THE
PROPAGANDA MOVEMENT TOGETHER WITH M.H. DEL
Before Rizal, there were already other writers
PILAR AND GRACIANO LOPEZ JAENA. who published some writings:

Pedro Paterno – “Ninay” (Madrid:

1885)
M. H. del Pilar – La Soberania
Manacal (Barcelona: 1889)
Lopez Jaena – Discurosos y
Articulos Varios (Barcelona: 1891)
Antonio Luna – Impressiones
(Madrid: 1893).
 FIRST REASON: RIZAL’S WRITINGS
➢Rizal’s respective writings, Noli Mi Tangere and
El Filibusterismo, greatly influenced the
countrymen.
➢ Only Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo evoked great favorable and
unfavorable comments from both friends and foes,
while other writings mentioned above failed to do
with the same intensity.
 SECOND REASON: RIZAL’S PERSON
The personal qualities of Rizal also need consideration. Dr. Sixto
Orosa enumerated some of the qualities of Rizal: •
▪ “As a child, Rizal was obedient to his parents, courteous to his
superior, and kind to his playmates and everybody else.”
▪ • “As a student, he was serious, studious, intelligent, methodical.
He budget his time, apportioning it to study athletics, recreation.
He also knew how to budget his money.”
▪ • “As a citizen, his consuming purpose and passion was to serve
his country, to love, redeem, and dignify his people, live and if
need be, die for his motherland.”
▪ • “As a man, he was courageous, well-disciplined and self-
sacrificing.”
▪ • “As a learned-man, he was humble.”
THIRD REASON: RIZAL’S PUBLIC
HONOR
▪ Rizal is being publicly honoured is the third
reason under consideration he received many
public honor before and after his death.
▪ • BEFORE HIS DEATH: Fernando Acevedo,
Dr. Tomas Arejola, Ferdinand Blumentritt, and
the revolutionary society honoured Rizal.
▪ AFTER HIS DEATH: Emilio Aguinaldo, Leon
Ma. Guerrero and Cecilio Apostol, intellectual
and scientific circle in the world,
Anthropological Society honoured Rizal.
WHO MADE RIZAL THE FOREMOST
NATIONAL HERO? TAFT COMMISSION
▪ On March 16, 1900, the second Philippine Commission was
created. In that year the president of the US, William
McKinley, issued his famous “instruction”:
▪ The US government established in the Philippines “is not
designed for the our satisfaction or for the expression of out
theoretical views, but for the happiness, peace and
prosperity of the people of the Philippines.”
▪ • On June 11, 1901, the Taft Commission approved the Act
No. 137. This Act made the political-military districts of
Manila and Morong into the Province of Rizal.
▪ • There was a meeting held for this purpose. In the meeting,
it was Dr. Tavera who asked to make a suggestion that the
united province be named “Rizal”, in memory and honor of
the most illustrious Filipino and the most illustrious Tagalog
had ever known.”
William Howard Taft
Civil Administrative sent by US
Pres. Mckinley
 CRITERIA FOR NATIONAL
HEROES
▪ Heroes are those who have a concept
of nation and thereafter aspire and
struggle for the nation’s freedom.

▪ In reality, however, a revolution has no

end. Revolutions are only the
beginning. One cannot aspire to be
free only to sink back into bondage
 CRITERIA FOR NATIONAL
HEROES
▪ Heroes are those who define and contribute
to a system or life of freedom and order for a
nation. Freedom without order will only lead
to anarchy.

▪ Therefore, heroes are those who make the

nation’s constitution and laws. To the latter,
constitutions are only the beginning, for it is
the people living under the constitution that
truly constitute a nation.
 CRITERIA FOR NATIONAL
HEROES
▪ Heroes are those who contribute to
the quality of life and destiny of a
nation. (As defined by Dr. Onofre D.
Corpuz:
▪ A hero is part of the people’s
expression. But the process of a
people’s internalization of a hero’s life
and works takes time, with the youth
forming a part of the internalization.
 CRITERIA FOR NATIONAL
HEROES
▪ A hero thinks of the future, especially the
future generations.
▪ The choice of a hero involves not only the
recounting of an episode or events in
history, but of the entire process that made
this particular person a hero.
 CRITERIA FOR NATIONAL
HEROES
▪ A hero thinks of the future, especially the
future generations.
▪ The choice of a hero involves not only the
recounting of an episode or events in
history, but of the entire process that made
this particular person a hero.
RAFAEL PALMA’S WORDS QUOTED ABOVE MAY
BE SUMMED UP AS FOLLOWS:
▪ • Rizal’s complete self-denial,
▪ • Complete abandonment of his personal interests,
▪ • Concern for those of his country,
▪ • Preference for public progress over personal
progress,
▪ Following the road his conscience had traced for him,
▪ Sacrifice of his personal affections for an ideal.
 The Youth is the Hope of our Nation.

Dr. Jose Rizal

We are all capable of making our country a better place, small contribution can
have a big impact to everyone.
 QUESTIONS!

▪ Emily S. Canada, RPm