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Last December 30, 2007, amid all the speculations brought about by the hustles and bustles of an upcoming new year, it was pleasant to realize that some people still took time to commemorate the death of our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Palpable evidence was this editorial article on Rizal I had stumbled upon while skimming over the entire content of the Tempo tabloid… The article commenced with a brief history that tackled on the issuance of independence to the Philippines by Pres.
Emilio Aguinaldo to the many tributes offered to Rizal such as the first Rizal Monument erected in Daet, Camarines Norte and the first Dr. Jose Rizal issue published by the El Herado de la Revolucion which is the official newspapermen of the Filipino Republic back then. The article also divulged the different condescending titles bestowed on Rizal such as Tagalog Christ, Messiah of the Philippine Revolution and Pride and Hero of the Malay Race. The rest were used to emphasized the immense role of Rizal in igniting the flame of nationalism among the Filipinos.
As was stated from the Philippine Constitution Act 345, December 30 was to be declared a holiday in honor of the martyrdom and valor of Rizal when he was executed in Bagumbayan. Although Rizal has been well venerated in the past few years, we are currently at the age where we start to wonder if ever the works and acts of Rizal still matter to our everyday living. We are not even the first to doubt if Rizal should indeed be the rightful one revered as our national hero. Thus, it came as a bit of surprise to have known that up to this moment, many people still hold Rizal in the highest regard.
The process of choosing the national hero may have been a tedious one but not half as close to the undertakings of several people leading to the very basis why they were nominated to be ideal models of the society in the first place. Rizal may not have been the first choice in a list of candidates but his life and work has proven himself worthy of being venerated and an ideal symbol for his country and people. In the case of Rizal, dying for his country may have been the easiest way for im to elicit the national awakening of the masses. Aside from his tangible contributions to the Filipino in the form of his writings, the Noli Me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo, he has planted the seeds and his ideas gave emphasis on, as to quote from the article, “human rights, human values, the dignity of men, and the love of country”. It is only rightful for us Filipinos who have benefited from such undertakings and sacrifices to live the life he has hoped for and remember him for the part he so assiduously worked about.