I know I have a dorky smile on my face and looked every bit turista here but YOLO(Or 9 because I'm a cat hihi)

It all started one fateful afternoon in January some nearly two years back. It was the first day of the new term and I was alone in this KASPIL1 class(Rizal/Makabayan in other schools)since I decided to cross-enroll(In an Engineering class kasi akala ko may masisilayan akong pogi! Charot!). It was during this time that I was starting out my "Unsure Ako Sa Buhay, Bwiset!" stage. I enjoyed my course and definitely had concrete(or drying concrete since, ya know, I'm still like 50%-60% sure of it lang)plans after college but I wondered what my purpose in life would be. Little did I know that being reintroduced to Rizal would change my life.

Let's flashback to my HS years; I've always admired our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal but like other highschoolers, all I knew of him was his ridiculously long name and even longer list of girlfriends. I mean, imagine taking quizzes where I have to answer who was this girlfriend whom he met in Japan (O Sei San)or who is this girl he had to duel Antonio Luna for (Nellie Boustead)? And then there was a time I had to memorize "Sa Aking Mga Kabata"(Which isn't even sure was written by Rizal). There was not so much of Rizal that was all too known for me in a way that I can personally admire--and the only time I learned of him was first year highschool before I took my KASPIL1/Rizal class years later.

But I always said back then I admired Rizal. I say this because the only thing I knew extensively of him were his literature, "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo." Not only do I love the plots and characters but it made me understand our country's colonial past. I loved the symbolism of the characters, events and even objects written in the story. I also would personally allude some of its characters to many people today. It is said that Crisostomo Ibarra was inspired by Rizal himself, but I doubt our national hero was the image of this innocent mestizo boy--Spanish to be exact just like how in the plays,books and a movie of "Noli" normally depict Ibarra--who came home from abroad in "Noli" and turned out to be vengeful and bloodthirsty in "El Fili" (who also wears fabulous, trendy-right-now rose tinted shades).

Just like this song(click here and never sleep at night again lol chos lang pero baka you'll have a new LSS) I'd hear a million times when I was in highschool: "SINO KA BA, JOSE RIZAL? SIIIINO KA BAAAA?" 

AAAANNNND fast forward to taking that class in college. I would like to thank my professor then who not only taught the subject well but also instilled in me the nationalism more fiery than before. It's learning not just about how many girls Rizal dated in his lifetime or memorizing his siblings' names in order or why he didn't shower one summer day but I learned who Rizal actually is and the personal significance of his works to my life.

I remember vividly the pieces I read that inspired me even more than "Noli" and "El Fili" did but of all of them, it was "El Amor Patrio" that affected me the most. It became what I call the foundation of the nationalism I needed to have. Remember when I said I was starting out in this "Unsure Ako Sa Buhay, Bwiset!"(I should trademark this lol) stage? After taking that class and having that literature affect me greatly, I learned my true purpose not only as a person but as a FILIPINO.

Not only do I realize Rizal can be quite the Ernest Hemingway with his metaphorical style of writing that at the same time romantic like Shakespeare(when the latter isn't tragic and pessimistic) but he personified the Philippines as if she(yes, she)is someone to be revered. It is love for her that  "is the greatest, the most heroic and the most disinterested." 

Once you do realize you have it, "the love of country can never be expunged once it has entered heart because it bears the divine mark that makes it eternal and imperishable." I do agree with Rizal that the greatest misfortune is to hate one's country. I guess it is easy to hate our country because of how things are handled here like how the government is reigning with greed(Rizal pun lol)or how society itself is social cancer (Another Rizal pun lololol) or how everything else is not as progressive as we want it to be. I'll be clear in saying this but it isn't the country's fault, really. It's the people and do I have to be like them? No. Although the system here still has a long way to go, it doesn't mean I can allow myself to fail because of it.

It was because of this essay that I realize I definitely have to stay here in the Philippines. Being a future educator, I know I'll find better opportunities abroad but I do think that the Philippines needs the educators, just as they also need the engineers, the doctors, the writers--everyone! I recall going over a book recently filled with Rizal's quotes and reading this(from his letter to someone whom I forgot, sorry!): "Filipinos could serve the country more if they were in the Philippines.  To serve our country, there is nothing like staying in it."

Also in the same book, I saw this little quote from a letter he wrote to Del Pilar:




This country needs the guidance, especially right now with the younger generation who will someday possibly overturn the chaos caused by the adults today. It's only us Filipinos who can redeem our own country--just as much as we are responsible for its doom. I do want to be the one who will help in molding the minds of those who will make a difference in the country someday.

What I love about learning about Rizal is that he gives a great emphasis on education. I remember during that class of mine, my professor emphasized that the great heroes, though many came from well-to-do means, were also well educated. It is this education they had that made them avoid being ignorant to the state of our country back then. It also made them vessels to tell the average indio to open their eyes to the real problems. Fast forward to today and education is already a right for all here. The best way is to utilize it; use education to our advantage. Those who don't find joy in education either are not learning hard enough nor learning to see the whole picture.

Another quote I saw from a book I read recently about Rizal's encouragement for his nephews to study. Hidalgo went on to study at Harvard Law and became a lawyer. Bongga, noh?

The first time I read this, it made me gasp. It probably is one of the best things I have ever read. I believe that this still applies today. These days, people are too quick to judge that having an education isn't necessary because many successful people didn't rely on it. Education lasts a lifetime because learning is never-ending. I still believe there is relevance in doing well in school because it tests one's rigor intellectually and emotionally. While schools are not even half of what real life has to offer, they still serve as avenues for one's success. They expose us to cultures,perspectives and ideas which eventually will help mold our own. I have met some successful people which to be honest, are only successful because they have the means--that were the result of their own parents or family's hardwork and education--and do not see the value of pursuing their studies.

The most disappointing thing really is allowing a mind to rot at the expense of material success. When stripped off every wealth, you won't have anything else because even your mind has nothing.

Like what Rizal says above, it's important to reflect on what you study. I'm fortunate enough to be pursuing a course that makes me learn about fields I'm very interested in which are more in the arts and letters side. But at times, I do feel unhappy with other classes I'm required to take or fall victim in unjust systems in school.What I do is that I still reflect on them and someday, I'll have the educational means and ranking to change all of it.

What is more shocking is that the more average Filipino believes that anything comes easy, too. Many also don't see the relevance of their studies and believe in seizing the day which reaps more consequences than benefits. This reminds me of another piece I read for that class which was "The Indolence of the Filipino." He says in his essay, "Indolence in the Philippines is a chronic malady, but not a hereditary one." While we have advanced in terms of technology and society these days, there are still people who believe in having it easy while there are those who simply don't do anything at all. There are people who mistake inactivity or inability to progress as contentment and acceptance with their living condition. There are those who stand indifferent to real issues around them because they aren't directly affected by them. There are those who are "inspired" by overnight success of other people or personalities who drop out but got rich. While these are not exactly like Rizal's reasons for one's indolence(except overnight success), these still are external factors that hinder the Filipinos' capability to work harder.

Laziness isn't inherited because like what Rizal said, our ancestors weren't lazy prior to our colonization. These days, in the age of innovations that makes lives easy thus making many want to have it even easier, there are those who strive for success through admirable and noble means. We hear stories of kids coming from poor families who get scholarships into Ivy League schools or about poor orphans who soon become lawyers and politicians  or even humble men who started a quaint businesses that become full blown successes now. We love success stories and it would be great that we also work on our own rather than waiting for it to write itself.

Lastly, Rizal is an example of how we can't look down on ourselves as Filipinos. It is the effect of colonization that we suddenly push away and forget our old traditions in favor to the more westernized ones. I had a professor(not the KASPIL1 one)who kept encouraging us in class to keep our truly Filipino heritage alive. It won't always pay off if we become carbon copies of other countries just because we're exposed to their culture. It will lead to downfall if we don't own up our own Filipino language just to prioritize English for globalization purposes. I remember him speaking about Japan as an example of a country that keeps their culture alive and values their language yet is one of the 1st orld countries. I read Rizal's "The Philippines A Century Hence" for that class of his(and also the KASPIL1)and wonder have we at all change for the better...

This was taken when I attended an art exhibition in CCP months back called "The Inverted Telescope" that focused on post-colonial art. This quote was written on the wall.

Rizal foresaw it but we do have the choice to turn this all around. Thank heavens that recently, there is a rise in our local culture to make it more "hip" to our generation such as alibata. There is also a surge now in Filipino literature, music and film recently. Will it grow even more? I believe so. 🙂

I guess being reintroduced to Rizal has made an impact in my life because not only did I realize what I want for myself but also what I want for this country. I know Rizal through his essays where I see his heart and mind poured onto them, showing the world that this was who he was as a person. He was a person who loved this country and knew that his actions have a direct effect on her. He reminded me to put value in sharpening my mind because that was what he did; he is known for his intelligence after all. I personally am not as sharp as him but the least--OR MOST--I can do is study hard, work hard, and dedicate everything for the betterment of the Philippines.

I will end this article with this lovely quote of his: