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CONTEMPLATE
What
Share your thoughts makes a
or opinions.
HERO?
CONCEPT OF HERO IN FILIPINO
CULTURE AND HISTORY
❖ Filipino concept of hero could be bayani,
bagani, magani, or wani in various Filipino
ethno-linguistic groups.
❖ A hero in early Philippine societies was just a
normal warrior in the community. The simple
tasks of such hero were based on the daily
needs of the village.
e.g. Pangangayaw or raiding into unallied
territory.
 According to William
Henry Scott, pangangayaw was
done because of four reasons:
1. to secure resources (goods,
bounty to human slaves);
2. to avenge a personal affront or
family honor;
3. to fulfil mourning requirements
to which the life of enemies
must be sacrifice;
4. for personal prominence or
mercenary reward.
CONCEPT OF HERO IN FILIPINO
CULTURE AND HISTORY
❖ It is important to point out that a Bayani
does not work alone; he or she exerts effort
together with his/her comrades in the
community.

Bayani
Bayan (community/town/nation)
 putong (head gear)

red garments

kris/kampilan (weapons)

tattoos (used as protection

of kaluluwa or soul)
CONCEPT OF HERO IN FILIPINO
CULTURE AND HISTORY
❖ The ultimate goal of hero is to maintain
peace and order.

bayanihan (cooperation)
ipabayani (free labor
offered to/by someone)
CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY
FILIPINO HEROES
❖ The Boxer Codex (1590)
bayani as a person with high status and dignity
❖ Pedro Serrano Laktaw
walang-takot
matapang
matibay
mapangahas
tahimik
mahinahon
CONCEPT OF HERO IN FILIPINO
CULTURE AND HISTORY
❖The concept of a Filipino Hero in
early Philippine societies,
therefore, is not a posthumous
award given to dead people, but
rather an honorific role and title
in society.
CONCEPT OF HERO IN FILIPINO
CULTURE AND HISTORY
❖ Spaniards had introduced the image of
obedience of saints and disciples whom the
Filipinos had to imitate in order to become
good colonials.
❖ Vida Sancti, or the lives of the saints
became the foundation of good qualities of
life.
❖ Doctrina Christiana or prayer and doctrine
books became a textbook of faith.
CONCEPT OF HERO IN FILIPINO
CULTURE AND HISTORY
❖ During the American colonization, Jose Rizal
became the leading national hero. Mabini,
Luna, and Del Pilar also became household
names.
❖ The problem to the new approach was that it
coincides with the thrust of the Americans to
instill to the minds of Filipinos the American
culture.
CONCEPT OF HERO IN FILIPINO
CULTURE AND HISTORY
❖ A modern-day concept of the indigenous
Bayani still exists today. The Overseas
Filipino Workers (OFW) are considered
Bagong Bayani. Their work abroad is said to
be a continuation of culture of pangangayaw.
❖ The word namayani, meaning prevail or
triumph, has become well-known.
CRITERIA FOR RECOGNIZING
HEROES
❖ A hero is a social construct. The nature of
the process in recognizing heroes is always
subjective. To bridge the gap, the National
Historical Commission of the Philippines
(NHCP) released some of the criteria for
recognizing the heroes, through their Project
Saysay.
CRITERIA FOR RECOGNIZING
HEROES
❖ the extent of a person’s sacrifice for the
welfare of the country
❖ the motive and methods employed in the
attainment of the ideal
❖ the moral character of the person is concerned
❖ the influence of the person concern on his/her
age and the succeeding age
❖ those who have a concept of nation and
thereafter aspire and struggle for the nation’s
freedom
CRITERIA FOR RECOGNIZING
HEROES
❖ those who define and contribute to a system of
life of freedom and order for a nation
❖ those who contribute to the quality of life and
destiny of a nation
❖ a part of people’s expression
❖ person who 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
RIZAL AS A FILIPINO HERO
❖ Jose Rizal as a Filipino hero is state-
sponsored through the Republic Act 1425,
however, is not a post-WW II phenomenon.
❖ Two years after his death, the first
commemoration was held on December 30,
1898 when the then president of the First
Philippine Republic, Emilio Aguinaldo, declared
in Malolos, Bulacan, a day of National
Mourning.
RIZAL AS A FILIPINO HERO
❖ The Americans seized the opportunity and
made Rizal the “national” hero of the
Philippines.
❖ The three criteria were used in the
selection:
1. A hero who is not violent or militant, and if
possible, preferred peaceful means like education.
2. A hero who had no qualms on American
imperialism.
3. A hero who is already dead.
RIZAL AS A FILIPINO HERO
❖ There was no actual law during the American
regime that explicitly declared Rizal as the
official hero of the country.
❖ Instead, the American regime promote his
heroism through: creation of Rizal province,
erection of the Rizal monument, and
declaration of Rizal Day on December 30 as
a public holiday.
RIZAL AS A FILIPINO HERO
❖ In 1995, the National Heroes Committee
created by President Fidel V. Ramos released
a list of recommended national heroes:

1. Jose Rizal
2. Andres Bonifacio
3. Emilio Aguinaldo
4. Apolinario Mabini
5. Marcelo H. del Pilar
6. Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat
7. Juan Luna
8. Melchora Aquino
9. Gabriela Silang
RIZAL AS A FILIPINO HERO
❖ Today, there are four major national
celebrations with Rizal:

1. June 12 – Independence Day

2. June 19 – Birth Anniversary
3. Last week of August – National Heroes Week
4. December 30 – Rizal Day
THE HISTORIC RIZAL
❖ The Rizal who lived and died in the 19th
century Philippines.
❖ The Rizal born and raised in Calamba,
Laguna, who studied at the Ateneo Municipal.
❖ The Rizal who travelled and studied abroad.
❖ The Rizal who published Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo.
❖ The Rizal who founded the La Liga Filipina
❖ The Martyr of Bagumbayan 1896
THE SYMBOLIC RIZAL
❖ The Rizal in Luneta.
❖ The Rizal in one peso coin.
❖ The Rizal in postage stamps.
❖ The Rizal as Tagalog Christ.
❖ The Rizal as an icon of Rock and in t-shirts.
RIZAL AS TEXT, SIGNS, AND
SYMBOLS
❖ Text is anything that can be read,
interpreted and analyzed.
SIGN SYMBOL
❖ Kind of text ❖ Conveys meaning not
which represents only about itself about
fixed reality cultural processes and
❖ Closed text relationships
❖ Open text