ARALIN 2: FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

THINK-PAIR-SHARE
("Karapat-dapat bang maging pambansang bayani si Jose Rizal?")

PANGALAN NG MIYEMBRO: PAULINE SHARRY TIU

RQ: Rizal was a leading proponent of the liberal middle class, who utilized his education and
talents in developing his national consciousness. His novels are popularly known as what
fanned the flames of revolution and inspired the masses to fight for freedom from their
oppressors. I believe that he has earned his title as one of our country’s national heroes,
although should not be hailed as the National Hero. While he was in Hong Kong, he opted to
return to his homeland despite the protests of his family and compatriots. Evident in the letter he
drafted, he wrote: “the step that I have taken, or about to take, is undoubtedly very perilous... I
realize that everyone is opposed to it; but I realize also that hardly anybody knows what is going
on in my heart. . . . I prefer to face death cheerfully and gladly give my life to free so many
innocent persons from such unjust persecutions. . . . I wish to show those who deny us
patriotism that we know how to die for our duty and our convictions. What matters death if one
dies for what one loves, for native land and adored beings?” When he arrived in the Philippines,
he would even utilize his talents to serve, practicing ophthalmology and general medicine for
free for the local townspeople, while charging foreigners appropriately. According to Ravin
(2001), he bought and farmed land, established a school and taught the pupils himself. While
continuing his academic writing, he sought to improve the town.

Despite his controversies and human flaws, his sacrifices and works should not be discredited
for their impact. While it does disappoint me to know of his supposed retraction (which alluded
to the betrayal of his own ideals and nation) and that he could have been the anti-hero of the
very revolution he had inadvertently ignited, this should not cancel out what he has already
done, especially since we are not fully sure and aware of the actual truth behind these
controversies. The truth that we do know is that Rizal passionately loved his country and his
countrymen and was willing to die to fulfill his duty as a Filipino. No one is perfect, even our
heroes. Still, we should still recognize and commemorate their impact in our histories and our
present.

R1 (Richelle Tan Casis): I agree that Rizal could still be considered the Philippines’ national
hero. It’s an interesting point you bring that no one, including our heroes, is perfect. We tend to
forget that this applies to everyone and consequently, have an immaculate view of our heroes
as people who are flawless. Because of this, any controversies they may have that we hear will
easily taint our image of them. They are not benevolent beings incapable of having faults or
human thoughts and so, would it not be better to view them as regular people who simply used
their talents for what they were passionate for? Instead of someone so out-of-reach, Rizal will
become a hero who feels more real and human that we all can envision ourselves becoming
too.

R2 (Pauline Sharry Tiu): That is true. It also is a reminder that we ourselves are capable of
what our national heroes were able to achieve. Rizal came from a privileged background, and
he took advantage of his opportunities to better the state of our nation. Bonifacio, who came
from a more humble background was able to do the same by leading the Katipunan. It is the
passion for the country, heart for the Filipino people and the will to progress as a nation that
cultivates the hero within us. Moreover, having a subject that dissects the life and works of one
of the venerated heroes could allow us to envision the Philippines then in Rizal’s lenses, the
extent of his sacrifice and how we ourselves can overcome our own oppressors in the current
timeline.

PANGALAN NG MIYEMBRO: RICHELLE TAN CASIS

RQ: Jose Rizal is known by many to be the national hero of the Philippines, which comes to no
surprise because he was a brilliant doctor and writer of novels (notably Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo) that are known to have inspired the start of the Philippine revolution. It is in
those novels and essays that heavily criticize the Church for the corrupt system and actions
they have brought to the country. For a long time Jose Rizal has pushed for reforms to be made
to allow the Philippines to be more independent and would even go as far as to condemn the
Catholic religion. However all his patriotic actions are questioned when an alleged retraction
letter he wrote comes into light that states he retracts all of what he said and dies a Catholic,
back to the very religion he despised. Is he then still deserving of the National Hero title if he
took back all of what he said? Many suspect that he only made it to be given the permission of
the Church to marry Josephine, his lover. (De Leon, 1999) If this was true, whatever his true
intentions may have been, it cuts an even deeper wound into the trust and pride the Filipinos
had for him since he was willing to take it all away just for a lover. In spite of my anger and
disappointment upon hearing this, I still consider Jose Rizal a national hero. His retraction letter
does not abolish the effects of his previous actions; he still is the doctor that helped many
Filipinos lives, the writer that instigated to research true Filipino history not obscured by Spanish
bias for an enriched national history, and he is still the activist that spoke and wrote for his
country that then initiated many others to do the same. It is still because of him and his love for
the Philippines that enabled us to even have this country to call home.

R1 (Pauline Sharry Tiu): For every controversy that has marred his reputation, I believe that he
has proven to be someone who truly loved the nation, and was willing to sacrifice his
achievements and opportunities to see the Philippines rise as an equal by making it a state of
Spain. As someone who opted for peaceful reforms, it was not a surprise that Rizal, who studied
abroad, would choose a nonviolent means for the nation to be recognized (in his own way) as
independent. I agree that his efforts should not be abolished because of his alleged actions,
especially since it has not even been proved yet. Personally, I believe that despite the message
the alleged retraction sends regarding his revert to Catholicism, it should be also a means to
respect his decision to honor his marriage and love for Josephine Bracken. His life may have
been dedicated to the Philippines, but it was still his life to live, and he chose to prove his love to
his fiance. At the end of the day, the revolution would still arise and the people would still
remember him for the good that he’s done for the love of country.

R2 (Richelle Tan Casis): Actually, Rizal choosing to change the Philippines in a nonviolent
manner is what made him a well known hero. Usually one envisions a hero as someone who
commenced a revolution and brought victory to their country. However, just as what was
mentioned, Rizal opted to use his education and knowledge to bring a better future for the
Filipinos. It is without a doubt he sacrificed all his resources for the Philippines as seen by the
legacy he left behind. Just as he expressed his love for his country, he also wished to express
love to Josephine Bracken. We all have our own personal wishes and intentions behind the
actions we take that are not always for the benefit of others, and we must not fault him for
wishing to do the same. Another interesting way we can see this is how much Rizal was willing
to do something because of his love for it; he wrote against the Church and spoke of the
injustices even though it will get him exiled and in the end, he was willing to “throw it all away” to
marry Jospehine. It is astounding to see how far love can make a person do and if we, as
citizens of this country, share that same love for our nation, we will be able to create a significant
difference.

PANGALAN NG MIYEMBRO: CIELO MARIA ANGELA VILLAMOR

RQ: Rizal has become a familiar name to every Filipino as he is known to be the country’s
national hero. He has lived a life devoted to his motherland and has sworn to protect it – to the
point that he died for his country. However, it’s one thing to protect your country, but did he truly
love his land? Although Rizal is known nationally for his achievements and his endeavors, he is
definitely not perfect. His life came with flaws and controversies that question what he stood for.
One of them being how he was against Catechism. Filipinos value the religion and truly stand
ground with their beliefs. However, it seems that as Rizal grew smarter and wiser, he began to
stray away from the religion. Furthermore, this can be seen in his writings, most especially in
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo as it has controversial issues with regards to religious
groups. Another controversy that involved Rizal was that he would consider himself to be
Spanish. This was due to the time he would always spend in Spain and how he would write his
literary works in the Spanish language. Many thought he lost touch of his Filipino roots and
wanted to become Spanish instead. This also led to the idea that this was the reason why he
had his disagreements with Andres Bonifacio. Bonifacio aimed to have a blood-shed type of
revolution, but Rizal did not want to pick a fight with the Spaniards. However, his reason for not
joining the revolution was because he had his own approach to it. Instead of creating massive
chaos that would stimulate a war, Rizal decided to hit the Spaniards where they would least
expect it, in a quiet manner. He decided to fight through his writings. This was an impactful way
to fight and at the same time, Filipinos became more aware of the situation at hand. They
realized that they were being abused and enslaved by the Spaniards through Rizal’s stories.

The question still remains, is Rizal truly the nation’s hero? Some of us could say yes, others
may beg to disagree. Personally, I can say that Jose Rizal is a hero. I would say that he still
deserves credit for his brilliance and efforts for the country. Although some people thought he
was an ally to the Spaniards, he still fought for his motherland. I think he should be counted as a
Philippine hero that should be taught in history books, however, I do think that there are other
deserving Filipino heroes that can hold the title of National Hero such as Lapu-Lapu, Andres
Bonifacio, or even Apolinario Mabini.

R1 (Julienne Marie Escala): It's interesting how you brought up the controversy that Rizal
would consider himself to be Spanish and that his literary works were all in the Spanish
language. With this, it really did seem as if he lost touch with his Filipino roots. However, despite
all that, he still was able to show his love for the Philippines and his countrymen through his
writing. Although he did not have the same approach as Bonifacio, he was still able to create an
impact with his writing. His works were set to be a foundation that would open the eyes of his
countrymen in order to fight for independence. Furthermore, I also do agree with you with
regards to Lapu-Lapu, Bonifacio, and Mabini also being deserving of the National Hero title;
because in their own way, they were still able to contribute to the Philippines’ independence and
we should not discredit them for it.

R2 (Cielo Villamor): Glad that you agree with me on this. Jose Rizal definitely deserves his title
as a Philippine hero -- there is no doubt about that. However, the title of National Hero may be
quite a demanding role to hold, given that numerous Filipinos are actually not in favor of him
being called such a title. There are other Filipino heroes that we can learn from as well and
deserve that type of recognition that Rizal receives. We can only hope that the curriculum gives
them credit for their bravery and nationalism.

PANGALAN NG MIYEMBRO: JULIENNE MARIE ESCALA

RQ: In this day and age, Jose Rizal is widely known by Filipinos as a National Hero who died for
the Philippines. His novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, became a catalyst that
sparked the hearts and minds of his fellow countrymen into starting the revolution against the
Spaniards. His works depicted how society was really like during this era and how the
Spaniards, specifically the friars, abused their power over society. Rizal condemned being a
Catholic when his eyes were open to the oppression that his countrymen faced. He stood firm
on his beliefs and really wanted to free his countrymen from the Spaniards. However, him being
a National Hero was questioned when speculations that Rizal wrote a retraction letter which
says that he retracts everything he has said against the Catholic Church. The purpose of this
retraction document was for him to be able to convert back to being a Catholic in order to marry
Josephine Bracken and to die peacefully as a Catholic. If this were to be true, the retraction
document destroys the bare foundation of what Rizal was fighting for in the first place.
Furthermore, another controversy that questioned his title of being a National Hero was with his
non-participation in the revolution. He wanted peaceful reforms and was willing to die for the
country instead. Despite his reasons for not participating in the revolution it made him look like a
coward.

With the retraction and nonparticipation what does this make of Jose Rizal? Does he still
deserve to be titled a National Hero? Well in my opinion, I believe that he still deserves to be
called a National Hero despite these controversies. He was still able to create a huge impact on
the revolution even with his nonparticipation. His works were set to be a foundation that ignited
the passion within Filipinos to fight for our independence. Moreover, looking back on his life and
his choices, it only goes to show that Rizal is human and he is not perfect. The retraction was
an act of vulnerability and as for his nonparticipation, he still believed that violence was not the
best way to achieve independence. With this, I believe that Jose Rizal is a hero; nevertheless,
we still should not forget that just like us, he is still an imperfect human too.

R1 (Cielo Villamor): I do agree with you that Rizal’s retraction from the revolution and his other
controversies may make it seem as if he lost touch of his Filipino roots, and made it appear as if
he had no motivation to fight for his country at all. However, I also like how you brought up how
his writings were able to depict the situation that the Filipinos were facing during the Spanish
era. Although Rizal mentioned that he did not want a bloodshed type of a revolution, I think this
was his own approach to the fight. His pen was his weapon and because of this, the Spaniards
did not even see this attack coming at them. It was a brilliant approach to make the Filipinos
aware of their current situation and it really showed his intelligence. It also showed how much
Rizal wanted to save his motherland.
R2 (Julienne Marie Escala): I do agree with you that it is a brilliant approach that Rizal used
his writings instead of violence in order to fight against the Spaniards. With his works, he was
able to open his countrymen’s eyes to the harsh reality that Spaniards have done to the country.
Furthermore, it really just goes to show that violence isn’t always the right answer in order to
fight for what one believes in. Words are powerful and it can be a weapon that can influence
many.

PANGALAN NG MIYEMBRO: JAN GAVIN GO

RQ: How does one become a National hero? For me, it is the willingness to give one’s life for
the country. Jose Rizal fought on a different battlefield. Unlike the battlefield of the revolutionists
which consists of violence that resulted in the blood of Spaniards and Filipinos; His own arsenal
consists of media and literacy that is used to expose the injustice of the Spanish colonizers.
Whether the battles were fought with a pen or a sword, heroism is about the willingness to give
one’s life for the country, in which the manner of death is not that important. Jose Rizal knew
that he would be persecuted by the Spaniards. He knew that if he continues in his path of
justice, the Spaniards will eventually silence him through violence if necessary. This is why Jose
Rizal deserves to be called a national hero, for he is willing to risk his life for the country. His
ideologies and works inspired the Filipinos to challenge the sovereignty of Spain. Even when his
intentions were for the Philippines to be a province of Spain, his works such as the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo exposed the injustice treatment of the Spaniards and the Catholic
Church to the Filipinos. It is undeniable that his works opened the minds of the Filipinos and
inspired revolutionary actions further. Rizal demonstrated his bravery and a deep sense of
nationalism throughout his life and even during his execution day. Because of his dedication and
fervor to the cause of the country, the execution of Jose Rizal fueled the anger of the Filipinos
even more.

R1: (Jack Thomas Cheung) I agree that his demonstration of bravery and love for his country,
led him to write his famous novels despite the fact that he knew that it would eventually lead to
his demise. I think that there were a lot of Filipinos who were willing to die for freedom. However,
I believe that Jose Rizal, through his silent revolution, was able to expose the abuse of the
government and the church, and angered them more than any revolution could. This proves
how his words have not only impacted the Filipinos, but also heavily damaged the reputation of
the Spanish government.

R2: (Jan Gavin Go) Through the use of literature, Rizal was able to deal a significant impact to
the Spanish system of rule. Both the church and government were pressured by mere words
alone, which is why it popularized the phrase “The pen is mightier than the sword” in our present
time today. His demonstration of nationalism even through his death is really inspiring for his
countrymen. I agree with everything you have said and that we should learn violence is not the
only answer to solve our problems. Rizal is indeed the forefront of the peaceful revolution ,
hopefully his life and works will still serve as an inspiration to us for a lifetime.
PANGALAN NG MIYEMBRO: JACK THOMAS CHEUNG

RQ:

Although many Filipinos have died fighting for the country, I believe that a national hero will have
the most impactful resolve that will move the hearts of the people around him. What exactly is
the criteria for choosing a national hero? From the life and works of Jose Rizal, it is evident that
he loved the Philippines. Despite his status, being born into a privileged family, he chose to fight
and was willing to die for his country. He chose to use what he had, which was his knowledge
and educational background to help and inspire the Filipino people. With his pen, he wrote down
his frustrations and talked about the corruption he sees in the Spanish government and the
church. Through his two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, he was able to ignite
the fire within Filipinos to revolt, taking a nonviolent course of action against the Spanish.

There are some that would argue that Andre Bonifacio was more suitable for the title, because
of his more relatable background, and his contribution to the rebellion. However, I believe that it
was the life and works of Jose Rizal that sparked revolutions, which would eventually overthrow
the 333-year reign of Spain. According to Chua (2019), this was one of the reasons why when
the US came over to the Philippines, General Taft appointed Jose Rizal to be the National Hero
for the Philippines, to decrease the rebellion involvement of the Filipinos who are fighting for
their freedom during that time. They wanted to stop the revolutions happening, as well as set an
example for the people that their national hero did not resolve to violence as a form of rebellion.
Despite the controversies, the Filipinos must never forget his courage and resolve to fight the
oppressors. People should not remember him by the controversies about him, but how his
actions and deep sense of nationalism eventually led to the current democratic state the
Philippines is enjoying right now.

R1: (Jan Gavin Go) It is clear that your criteria in being a national hero is the one that inspires
his countrymen the most. I agree with you that Jose Rizal’s life and work is an eye opener for
the filipino people living in the state of spanish oppression. It is also remarkable that Jose Rizal
was able to contribute to the nation's independence from the Spaniards without the use of
violence. However, I do not get your motive in explaining the correlation behind General Taft
appointment of Rizal. It seems that you have just explained how Rizal's life and works sparked
the revolution, So why would General Taft appoint Rizal to suppress the rebellion movement if
Rizal was the one who inspired the filipino revolution in the first place?

R2: I elaborated on General Taft appointing Rizal to be the national hero because this is one of
the controversies that people are debating about. General Taft’s reason was because he wanted
to stop the revolutions happening around the Philippines after the Spaniards left. He thought
that Jose Rizal would be a good example of someone rebelling against the government, not
through violence. Despite this, I still believe that he is deserving to be the Philippine National
Hero because of his impact on the Filipino people against the Spanish.
PANGALAN NG MIYEMBRO: CHARLENE GRACE TIONG

RQ: In my opinion, the national hero of a country represents a person who has shown
nationalism at the highest level possible. Although many people have fought and died for the
Philippines during the colonization of the Spaniards and that is more than enough in doing their
duty to protect the country, I believe that Jose Rizal was the one who revolutionized the way a
person can show their nationalism and that is why he is deserving of the title “National Hero of
the Philippines''. He believed that fighting for the freedom of the country can be through words
as the saying goes “a pen is mightier than a sword”. His novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo were the driving force behind other countrymen to fight for the freedom of the
country but Rizal did not want to join the revolution as he did not believe it was the right thing to
do. Although Renato Constantino, a historian and professor, believes that Rizal was not the
leader but the leading opponent of the Revolution as Rizal declared that he would do anything
to retrain the Revolution. In Rizal’s defense, he was against absurd actions and criminal
methods to fight for the freedom of the country. During the time he was exiled to Dapitan, Rizal
was able to win the lottery and used the money to buy land and build a school for the people
there as well as a clinic for the villagers. The people there would trust him to cure their diseases
even if it was not in his specialization. He continuously served the Filipinos in any way possible
(Piedad-Pugay & Uckung, 2020).

Although Rizal had a lot of controversies that led people to doubt him being named the national
hero of the country, people should also understand that he is still a human bound to make
mistakes. The main focus should be on his actions for the betterment of the country and not his
stumbles in life. His way of fighting for freedom through a more peaceful manner can be applied
to modern times. Not everything can be solved through violent actions. This can be related to
when the country had its People Power Revolution, where people from different areas of the
Philippines come together to fight for what they believe is right for the country.

Piedad-Pugay, C. & Uckung, P. (2020, April 21). A Closer Look on the More Human Side of the
National Hero of the Philippines, Dr Jose Rizal. Retrieved from
[Link]
rizal

R1 (Jaime Augusto Lee): Exactly! Heroes are not only limited to victors in times of battle; a
prime example of this is Dr. Jose Rizal. Despite employing non-violent means, Rizal was able to
ignite a revolution which may not be even achieved through violent means. Be it through a pen
or a sword, Rizal had shown that each of us can do something of our own in allegiance to the
country. Once again, I agree to your statement that people must focus on the successes rather
than the defeats. Oftentimes, we place Rizal on a pedestal as our ideal hero. This leads us to
think that his actions must only be what we deem right, and when he stumbles, we unfortunately
forget about his contributions to our country. We forget that Rizal, too, was a human – just like
the rest of us. Ultimately, we must remember that our heroes are human too as to prevent
ourselves from discrediting the efforts and contributions of those who truly fought for our
country.
R2 (Charlene Grace Tiong): I also think that as Filipinos we must be proud of all of our national
heroes and not must doubt their intention for our country because without them the Philippines
would not be the same. All of their sacrifices should be given more significance. And yes, they
made mistakes but so did every Filipino out there because we are all bound to commit mistakes
and we should not judge other people from their flaws. We should also remember that other
people who have died for the Philippines are just as worthy to be called a national hero as Jose
Rizal.

PANGALAN NG MIYEMBRO: JAIME AUGUSTO LEE

RQ: Is the title “National Hero” really necessary?

In my opinion, it is not. A country need not have a singular national hero as I believe that there
are many others who share the same patriotism that Rizal had despite employing it through
different means. Having said this, I believe that the question at hand would be whether Rizal
deserves to be a hero.

Surely, many Filipinos recognize Rizal as a hero. Despite knowing the repercussions he might
face, he continued to publicize his works – Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Despite Rizal
not wanting a revolution, his written works, hand in hand, were able to spark the revolution and
lead the Filipino people to freedom. This, in itself, is enough for one to be considered a hero.

With this in mind, it is important to see what arguments are there to invalidate Rizal’s heroism.
This is where the controversies of Rizal come into play. Rizal’s work blatantly attacks the
church, and the film Bayaning 3rd World tackled the controversy of whether Rizal had truly
retracted his views against the church. The reason for this controversy is that if true, then did
Rizal cast-off his own beliefs that fanned the flames of the revolution? In his final hours, did he
really turn his back on his countrymen?

Despite all these controversies and all these what-if’s, at the end of the day, I believe that a
person’s actions reflect his beliefs. Whether or not Rizal had actually signed the letter of
refraction does not make him any less of a hero than he is now. His works still led the Filipinos
to freedom regardless. We must stop placing Rizal on a pedestal and see him as a human. If
one empathizes with Rizal, one can see just how hard it is to cling on to one’s beliefs when
everything is at stake. Ultimately, Rizal must still be seen as a hero as in the end, he simply
stood up for his beliefs.

R1 (Charlene Grace Tiong): I agree that a country should not be limited to only one hero only
as there are other people who have shown their bravery and nationalism in their own ways.
Everyone who fought for the freedom of the Philippines during the colonization of the Spaniards
are considered heroes of the country. I also agree that even with the controversies that surround
Rizal, he is still a hero for the Philippines. His life was fully dedicated to fight for what the
Philippines deserve, its own freedom. People should be able to see the contributions of Rizal
instead of the controversies that were accused of him. The mere fact that he was the image of
the revolution made a lot of Filipinos inspired to fight for their own country. He may not have
fought with a sword in his hand but he was able to use his words to inspire the Filipinos that
their freedom is worth fighting for.
R2 (Jaime Augusto Lee): True! Be it Mabini, Lapu-Lapu, Bonifacio, or even Rizal – all of them
are heroes in their own ways. Instead of pitting these people against each other for the title of
National Hero, I believe that all of them must be celebrated as heroes. With this, we may be
able to learn from one person what we are unable to learn from another. In this manner, we are
more able to decide for ourselves how we can showcase our nationalism as well. I also agree
that instead of seeing the controversies that our heroes have been involved in with spite and
disgust, we must take it to ourselves as a learning opportunity to prevent ourselves from making
the same mistakes as they did. With this said, this is an opportunity for us to even be greater
heroes for our country and for our future.