REMEMBERING RIZAL

Influenced by both the Roman Catholic Church and the prehispanic spiritual culture, some Filipino masses likewise
founded organizations that recognize Rizal not just an important hero but also as their savior from all the social ills that
plague the country. These groups, which can be linked to the long story of millenarian movements in the country, are
widely known as the “Rizalistas”. These organization believe that Rizal has a Latin name of Jove Rex Al, which means
“God, King of All”.
Rizal as the Tagalog Christ
In the late 1898 and early 1899, revolutionary movement La Independencia and El Heraldo de la Revolucion, reported
about Filipinos commemorating Rizal’s death in various towns in the country. In Batangas, for example, people were said
to have gathered “tearfully wailing before a portrait of Rizal” (Ileto, 1998) while remembering how Christ went through
the same struggles. After Rizal’s execution, peasants in Laguna were also reported to have regarded him as the “Lord of a
kind of paradise in the heart of Mount Makiling” (Ileto, 1998). Similar stories continued to spread after Rizal’s death
towards the end of the nineteenth century. The early decades of 1900s then witnessed the founding of different religious
organizations honoring Rizal as the “Filipino Jesus Christ” (Ocampo, 2011).
In 1907, Spanish writer and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno gave Rizal the title “Tagalog Christ” as religious
organizations venerating him had been formed in different part of the Philippines (Iya, 2012). It is, however, important to
mention that Rizal was not the first hero to be called as such. In history, Apolinario de la Cruz (1815-1841) who founded
the religious confraternity Cofradia de San Jose was also considered as the “Tagalog Christ” by his followers. Moreover,
Filipino revolutionary Felipe Salvador (1870-1912), also known as Apo Ipe, who founded the messianic society Santa
Iglesia (Holy Church) was called by his followers as the “Filipino Christ” and the “King of the Philippines”. The titles
given to some earlier Filipino revolutionary leaders reveal that associating religious beliefs in the social movements is part
of the country’s history. Teachings and traditions of political movements that were organized to fight the Spanish and
American colonial powers were rooted in the religious beliefs and practices. These socio-religious movements known as
the millenarian groups which aim to transform the society are often symbolized or presented by a hero or prophet.
The same can also be said with the Rizalista groups which, as mentioned, have risen in some parts of the country after
Rizal’s death in 1896. Each group has its own teachings, practices, and celebrations, but one common belief among them
is the veneration of Jose Rizal as the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. These groups likened the travails of Jose Rizal to that
of Jesus Christ as narrated in the Pasyon, an epic poem which became popular among the Tagalog during the Spanish
period (Ilero, 1998). Rizalistas belive that Rizal, just like Jesus Christ, would eventually return to life and will save
mankind.
People saw the parallel between the two lives being sent into the world to fulfill a purpose. As Trillana (2006, p.39) puts it,
“For both Jesus and Rizal, life on Earth was a summon and submission to a call. From the beginning, both knew or had
intimations of a mission they had to fulfill, the redemption of mankind from sin in the case of Jesus and the redemption of
his people from oppression in the case of Rizal.”
Reincarnation in the context of Rizalistas means that both Rizal and Jesus led parallel lives. “Both were Asians, had
brilliant minds and extraordinary talents. Both believed in the Golden Rule, cured the sick, were rabid reformers, believed
in the universal brotherhood of men, were closely associated with a small group of followers. Both died young (Christ at
33 and Rizal at 35) at the hands of their enemies. Their lives changed the course of history” (Mercado, 1982, p.38).

The Canonization of Rizal: Tracing the Roots of Rizalistas

The earliest record about Rizal being declared as a saint is that of his canonization initiated by the Philippine Independent
Church (PIC) or La Iglesia Filipina Independiente. Founded on August 03, 1902, the PIC became a major religious sect
with number of followers supporting its anti-friar and anti-imperialist campaigs. As a nationalist religious institution, PIC
churches displayed Philippine flags in its altars as an expression of their love of country and recognition of heroes who
fought for our independence (Palafox, 2012).
In 1903, the PIC’s official organ published the “Acta de Canonizacion de los Grandes Martires de la Patria Dr. Rizal y PP.
Burgos, Gomez y Zamora” (Proceedings of the Canonization of the Great Martyrs of the Country Dr. Rizal and Father
Burgos, Gomez, and Zamora). According to the proceedings, the Council of Bishops headed by Gregorio Aglipay met in
Manila on September 03, 1903. On this day, Jose Rizal and the tree priests were canonized following the Roman Catholic
rites.
After Rizal’s canonization, Aglipay ordered that no masses for the dead shall be offered to Rizal and the three priests.
Their birth and death anniversaries will instead be celebrated in honor of their newly declared sainthood. Their statues
were revered to the altars; their names were given at baptism, and in case of Rizal, novenas were composed in his honor.
Aglipay also mentioned that the PIC’s teachings were inspired by Rizal’s ideology and writings. One of PIC’s founders,
Isabelo de los Reyes, said that Rizal’s canonization was an expression of the “intensely nationalistic phase” of the sect
(Foronda, 2001).
Today, Rizal’s pictures or statues can no longer be seen in the altars of PIC. His birthday and death anniversary are no
longer celebrated. However, it did not deter the establishment of other Rizalista organizations.
In the 1950s, Paulina Carolina Malay wrote her observations of Rizal being revered as a saint (Foronda, 2001, p.47).
Many towns in Leyte, among them Dulag, Baraven, and Limon, have religious sects called Banal
which venerate Rizal as a god. They have chapels where they pray on their knees before the hero’s
picture or statue.

Legaspi City, too, has a strange society called Pantay-pantay whose members are called Rizalinos.
Periodically, the members walk barefoot in a procession to Rizal’s monument and hold a queer sort
of a mass. Usually, this procession is done on Rizal Day (December 30) or on June 19, the natal day
of the hero.

Some colorum sects also venerate Rizal as a god. A colorum sect in Tayabas, Quezon has built a
chapel for him at the foot of Bundok of San Cristobal, better known as Mt. Banahaw.

The sect called Rizalina in Barrio Caluluan, Concepcion, Tarlac has even a sort of nunnery for
its priestesses. The girls, forbidden to marry during a certain period, are sent to Rizal’s hometown,
Calamba for ‘training’. When they go back to Tarlac, they perform masses, baptize and do other
religious rites.

These observations show that Rizalistas continued to flourish after PIC’s canonization of Rizal. Tracing the origins and
establishment of different Rizalista groups will, therefore, help one appreciate the followers’ view of Rizal’s role in
shaping their socio-religious beliefs.

Groups Venerating Jose Rizal

 Adarnista or the Iglesiang Pilipina

In 1901, a woman in her thirties, Candida Balantac of Ilocos Norte, was said to have stared preaching in Bangar, La Union.
Balantac, now known as the founder of Adarnista or the Iglesiang Pilipina, won the hearts of her followers from La
Union, Pangasinan, and Tarlac. This preaching eventually led her to establish the organization in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija
where she resided until the 1960s (Ocampo, 2011).

Balantac’s folloers believe that she was an engkantada (enchanted one) and claimed that a rainbow is formed (like that of
Ibong Adarna) around Balantac while she was preached, giving her the title “Inang Adarna” and the organization’s name,
Adarnista. Other call Balantac Maestra (teacher) and Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit).

The members of Adarnista believe in the following (Foronda, 2001) :

1. Rizal is a god of the Filipino people.
2. Rizal is a true god and a true man.
3. Rizal was not executed as has been mentioned by historians.
4. Man is endowed with a soul; as such, man is capable of good deeds.
5. Heaven and hell exist but are, nevertheless, “within us”.
6. The abode of the members of the sect in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija is the New Jerusalem or Paradise.
7. The caves in Bongabon are the dwelling place of Jehovah or God.
8. There are four persons in God: God, the father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, and the Mother (Virgin Mary).
Like the Catholic Church, the Adarnista also conducts sacraments such as baptism, confirmation, marriage, confession,
and rites of the dead. Masses are held every Wednesday and Sunday, at 7:00 in the morning and lasts up to two hours.
Special religious ceremonies are conducted on Rizal’s birthday and his death anniversary which start with the raising of
the Filipino flag. In a typical Adarnista chapel, one can see images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, Our Lady of Perpertual Help, and in the center is the picture of Rizal. Beside the latter are pictures of other
Philippine heroes like Luna, Burgos, del Pilar, Mabini, Bonifacio, etc. (Foronda 2001).

The Adarnista has more than 10,000 followers in La Union, Isabela, Pangasinan, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and
Nueva Vizcaya, and some in Baguio City and Manila.

 Sambahang Rizal
Literally the “Rizal Church”, the Sambahang Rizal was founded by the late Basilio Aromin, a lawyer in Cuyapo, Nueva
Ecija, in 1918. Aromin was able to attract followers with his claim that Sambahang Rizal was established to honor Rizal
who was sent by Bathala to redeem the Filipino race, like Jesus Christ who offered His life to mankind (Foronda, 2001).
Bathala is the term used by early Filipinos to refer to “God” or “Creator”. Aromin’s group believe that Rizal is the “Son of
Bathala” in the same way Jesus Christ was “Son of God”. Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo serve as their “bible”
that shows the doctrine and teachings of Rizal. Their churches have altars displaying the Philippine flag and a statue of
Rizal.

Similar to Catholic Church, the Sambahang Rizal conducts sacraments like baptism, confirmation, marriage, and
ceremonies for the dead. It assigns preachers, called lalawigan guru, who are expected to preach Rizal’s teachings in
different provinces. Aromin, the founder, held the title Pangulu guru (Chief preacher). At the height of its popularity, the
organization had about 7,000 followers found in Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan (Foronda, 2001).

 Iglesia Watawat ng Lahi

Samahan ng Watawat ng Lahi (Association of the Banner of the Race) is said to have been established by the Philippine
National Heroes and Arsenio de Guzman in 1911. It was in this year that de Guzman started to preach to the Filipino
people that Rizal was the “Christ” and the “Messenger of God”. He claimed that God has chosen Philippines to replace
Israel as hiw “New Kingdom”. Some believe that it was the spirit of Rizal which was working with de Guzman telling
people to live in accordance with Christ’s and Rizal’s teachings (Iya, 2012).

According to stories, sometime in 1936, a banal na tinig (holy voice) instructed Mateo Alcuran and Alfredo Benedicto to
go to Lecheria, Calamba in the province of Laguna to look for Jovito Salgado and Gaudioso Parabuac. Alcuran and
Benedicto followed the banal na tinig and met with Salgado and Parabuac in Lecheria on December 24, 1936. Every
Saturday afternoon from then on, the four listened to the teachings of the banal na tinig. In 1938, the banal na tinig
informed them that their guide was the spirit of Jose Rizal which instructed them to organize a movement called the
Samahan ng Watawat Lahi. However, the word Samahan was changed to Iglesia to avoid suspicion by the Japanese
soldiers during World War II, making it as the Iglesia Watawat ng Lahi (Iya, 2012).

The aims of the organization are as follows (Foronda, 2001) :

1. To love God above all things
2. To love one’s fellowmen as one loves himself
3. To love the motherland and to respect and venerate the heroes of the race especially the martyr of Bagumbayan,
Dr. Rizal, to follow, to spread, and to support their right teachings; and to serve the country with one’s
whole heart towards its order, progress, and peace.

Foronda (2011) also enumerated the beliefs of the sect gathered from his interviews in 1960-1961:
1. The teachings of the sect are based on the commands of the Holy Moses, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the
teachings of Dr. Jose Rizal culled his writings.
2. Christians believe in the Trinity: the power of the Father was given to Moses, the power of the Son was given to
Jesus Christ; and his sect believes that the power of the Holy Ghost was given to Dr. Jose Rizal.
3. Jesus Christ is embodied in Dr. Jose Rizal and hence, Dr. Rizal is at once a god and a man.
4. Rizal is not dead; he is alive and is physically and materially present in the New Jerusalem which is presently
hidden in the site extending from Mt. Makiling to Mt. Banahaw.
 5. It is the voice of Rizal which commands the officials and the members what to do; this voice is heard in the
weekly meetings. However, an invoker in the person of Gaudioso Parabuac is needed to ask Rizal to come and
talk to members.
6. If World War III breaks out, numberless people will be killed by atomic weapons. But after the war, Dr. Jose
Rizal will make an appearance to the new world, and he will lead the army of God.
7. Man has a soul, but a soul that is different from the soul of Dr. Rizal, for Rizal is god. Three days after his death
and if he was holy in life (i.e., if he followed the commandments of God), man will rise again and his soul
will proceed to the New Jerusalem. If he did not fulfill the commandments of God, the soul is not to be
punished in hell (for there is no hell) but will be made to work in a place opposite to the New Jerusalem.
8. There is a particular judgment (the soul is judged three days after death) and the last judgment (when all the
creatures will be judged).

Iglesia Watawat ng Lahi is one of the biggest Rizalista groups with more than 100,000 found in different parts of the
country. However, in 1987, it was divided into three factions: (1) the Watawat ng Lahi, also known as the Samahan ng
Watawat ng Lahi Presiding Elders; (2) the Iglesia Watawat ng Lahi, Inc.; and (3) the Iglesia ng Lipi ni Gat Dr. Jose Rizal,
Inc. (Iya, 2012). The first group now teaches that Rizal is not Christ but only a human while the last two groups claimed
that they hold the original teachings and doctrines of the old Iglesia Watawat ng Lahi – Rizal is God/Christ himself , the
Jove Rex Al (God, King of All).

 Suprema de la Iglesia de la Ciudad Mistica de Dios, Inc.

Officially registered as an organization in 1952, Suprema de la Iglesia de la Ciudad Mistica de Dios, Inc. (Supreme
Church of the Mystical City of God) was founded by Maria Bernarda Balitaan (MBB) in the Tagalog region who was said
to have started her spiritual missions in the early 1920s. Today, Cuidad Mistica is the biggest Rizalista group located at the
foot of Mt. Banahaw in Barangay Sta. Lucia in Dolores, Quezon with approximately 5,000 members in Sta. Lucia alone.
All over Luzon, it has about 100,000 members.

In the history of Ciudad Mistica’s establishment, the group has always been led by a woman. Its leader is called the
Suprema who assumes the responsibilities of assisting members seeking advice, resolving conflicts among members
(including legal conflicts), and making major decisions in the organization.

The members believe that as a result of endless conflicts among countries in West Asia, God decided to transfer his
“Kingdom” to the Philippines. It explains why there existed “holy stations/altars” (locally called pwesto) in Mt. Banahaw,
which is equivalent to the stations of the cross of Christ in the Pasyon (Ocampo, 2011).

For the Ciudad Mistica, Jesus Christ’s work is still unfinished and it will be continued by Dr. Jose Rizal and the “twelve
lights” are said to be the equivalent of Jesus Christ’s twelve apostles. Their work will be fulfilled by a woman, in the
person of MBB, as can be seen in their hymns (Quibuyen, 1991).

The Virgin Maria Bernarda, a Filipino Mother

Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino Father
Once in a mystery, they came together
And so, emerged this country, the Philippines.

Like the other Rizalista groups, Ciudad Mistica shares many elements with the Catholic Church. They hold masses (every
Saturday), and have prayers and chants. They commemorate the birth and death anniversaries of the “twelve lights”, Dr.
Rizal’s death (December 30) as the most important celebration. Each commemoration starts with the raising of the
Philippine flag.