Quennhy Mae T.

Hernandez
BSMT2E-1

 Complete the following statements:

The three things that I have learned about Dr. Jose Rizal are first, he chose to
specialize in ophthalmology out of love, but love for his mother. He wanted to cure
his mother's sight because she was becoming blind. Just as he desired to free his
people from the "blindness" caused by the dominating Spanish friars. Second, he
mastered 22 languages, and before going to bed each night, Rizal memorized five
root words. He had acquired 1,825 new words at the end of the year. His retentive
memory ensures that he never forgets these foreign words. In his works, interactions
with foreign professors and scientists, and travels around Europe and America, Rizal
made effective use of his language learning. Lastly, the purpose of RA 1425 of the
Rizal Law, is to spread awareness of Dr. Jose Rizal, our nation's literary hero, and
his life, works, and writings, the famous Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Also,
there are demands for the Filipino people to develop a stronger sense of nationalism
at a time when their national identity is fading. 
 
   But there are still other things that confuse me, like why some people see Rizal as
a saint when we all know that he believed that his God was far above the Catholic
god. Also, I find it curious why only Rizal was named a "National Hero" given that
other brave Pilipino also contributed to our country's regaining its independence.
Last but not least, since I attended a Catholic school where they teach Rizal's works,
we are aware that the Catholic Church opposed Rizal's law and continued to protest
how it was portrayed in his books.
 
   I used to think that only Rizal is worthy of the title of "National Hero" since he used
virtue to provide us independence. Jose Rizal led a remarkably quiet but effective
message for independence. Instead of using force or aggression, he chose to
convey his love for the Philippines through his novels, essays, and articles. He was
modest, preferring to advocate for reforms through his words as opposed to leading
a revolution. He used his knowledge, abilities, and skills in a way that was far more
peaceful than aggressive. But, I also realized and agree with the law at the time of
President Ramos, which the Philippines doesn’t have an official “National Hero”. We
must never forget the bravery of our heroes, including many who suffered in the
shadows while defending the Philippines' independence from colonizers. For me, a
hero is a true person or a main fictional figure who overcomes difficulty by using
intelligence, bravery, or strength when at risk.
 
   The three questions that I want to ask about the movies and the readings are:
What is the significance of knowing the woman in Rizal's life? Is Rizal truly the only
one deserving of the title "National Hero"? Did the church's perspective toward
studying Jose Rizal's life and works change? This lesson taught me a lot, especially
about the significance of the term "National Hero."

 In a minimum of 500 words, write a reflection focusing on the following

In my thoughts, after Dr. Jose Rizal’s passing or after he had already gained
notoriety as a martyr and national hero, many tales about his childhood brilliance
were published. He looked at the process by which the Katipunan and other related
brotherhoods came to view Rizal as a sacred figure in Reynaldo Ileto's writing or in
"history from below." He is referring to how Rizal's life, from youth to death and
beyond, is portrayed in the Pasyon Pilapil as an echo of the lakaranan. Rizal was
hailed as a Tagalog Christ after his death because he fulfilled the Pasyon archetype.
I was able to identify Jose Rizal as the national hero of the Philippines, who inspired
the people to fight to seek independence and used his writings and bravery to take
power in opposition to the Spanish Empire.

   The word “underside” is a side that is usually hid from view. A good example is the
underside of Rizal's attempts to restore the history of a thriving pre-Spanish
civilization that declined, which can be seen as an effort to reconstruct the oneness
of Philippine history and bring the divergences and differences that characterized
colonial society under the control of the ilustrado mind. The Spanish rule caused the
people to "forget their alphabet, their songs, their poetry, and their laws to parrot
other beliefs that they did not understand," according to Jose Rizal's additions to a
work written in Spanish in the seventeenth century that was published in 1890. The
Filipino people must develop, and about doing so, they must be knowledgeable of
their origin, their background as colonized people, and the general improvement of
humanity. The lack of clearly defined boundaries in the early Filipinos' conceptual
world is frequently attributed to ignorance and credulity, alternatively, it is said that
Rizal considerably raised the status of the lustrados by creating a "useful past," to
use a term that is used today. The liberal elite believed they had power over the
masses and were liberated from the historically less superstitious way of thinking.

  My opinions of Rizal have changed because he was involved with the hidden but
continuous underside of illustrated history, which contrasts with the observable
threads of Philippine history. Jose Rizal's invention of an accessible past favored the
position of the illustrados, the liberally educated elite who saw themselves as, among
other things, liberated from the thought-world of history-less, superstitious, and
manipulated crowds, the pobres y ignorantes, to use a common term at the moment.
His teachings are extensively researched, and there are more memorials, shrines,
and homages to him now and read only briefly.Dr. Jose  Rizal, had to automatically
disregard or conceal events that opposed his organized thinking while engaging in
the act of perceiving. It present on the periphery of his life and work but were not
given much thought. My opinion of Rizal is very different from what is considered the
"underside." and it is odd that he achieved literary success in a nation where reading
is discouraged.

References:
Ileto, R. (n.d.). Rizal and the underside of philippine history(Re-scan). Retrieved
December 4, 2022, from
https://www.academia.edu/19257992/Rizal_and_the_Underside_of_Philippine_Histo
ry_re_scan_

Rizal’s views on catholicism. (n.d.). Rizal’s Views on Catholicism. Retrieved

McFadden, R. D. (2022, July 31). Fidel ramos, philippine president who broke with
marcos, dies at 94. The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/31/obituaries/fidel-v-ramos-dead.html