MIRRORING THE LIFE OF DR. JOSE RIZAL REVOLUTIONARY

Have we traveled back in time to the Spanish Colonial Era—or did we never let go of their insatiable greed for power?

Written by VINCENT YAP

One hundred sixty-one years ago, on June 19, 1861, a man who would become one of the faces of the Filipino people against Spanish colonization was born. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda, who is more commonly known as Dr. Jose Rizal, is a writer and an activist whose works actively critiqued the Spanish colonial rule.

Dr. Jose Rizal’s status as a national hero is often debated. On one hand, his critics deem him irrelevant and outdated—that he should have been more like Andres Bonifacio who chose the militant and revolutionary path. On the other hand, his extensive credentials and patriotic efforts dedicated to the colonial Philippines prove to be praiseworthy and worth looking up to—he was a to-be and is to be a role model for the generations to come. In both cases, however, Bonifacio’s and Rizal’s efforts must always be appreciated as they found ways to ignite a fire within the Filipino people and pursue freedom. Worldwide, Rizal is celebrated for his pursuit of freedom and enlightenment, especially for the Filipino people who have been inhibited by the oppressive governments in the era of Spanish colonization.

His political philosophy has always been to champion freedom and enlightenment, which manifested in his written works, education, and contributions to society in his various professions. At a time when socio-political injustices reigned—institutions pandering to the Westerners, corruption prevailing, unjust killings, torture, and so on—Jose Rizal knew that the fortitude and valor of the Filipinos meant that freedom was approaching. These injustices also signified the weakness of the colonial government, that they were aware of the power that the masses held when they mobilized, which is why they were being silenced. In his own way, he wrote numerous articles and published various articles that criticized the government of the Spaniards due to his belief that a government must be for the people and by the people. This was a belief held by many of the ilustrados. These works included hopes of reform, which Rizal was also quite known for. He sought out reforms within the government for the Filipinos to become “partners” with the Spaniards so that they enjoy the same right and privileges (given that the Philippines was not ready to be independent at the time, based on his considerations). These include representation in the Spanish Cortes, freedom of the press, secularization, more effective government personnel, and positions within the administration that are open for Filipinos to take on. In all of these, it is apparent that Jose Rizal hoped to achieve a more humane society.

As expected, this enraged the government officials and heightened the abuse against the Filipinos, which included exploitation, forced labor, silencing critiques, and slavery. Unfortunately, these instances are not ancient and are still exhibited by authoritarian governments threatened by democracy.

To mirror the political philosophies of Dr. Jose Rizal in contemporary Filipino society, it is inevitable to observe the colonialist culture and bureaucracy that the nation’s own government exhibits today. Numerous administrations have adhered to policies that are considered imperialist, self-serving, and elitist, such as the inaction of the Duterte administration towards the territorial disputes within the West Philippine Sea. In addition, with a large number of the service/resource providers being owned by government cronies (telecommunications, farms, electricity, etc.), the plain folk who subscribe to these services are only subjected to a larger scale of corruption. Injustice for the victims of extrajudicial killings and police brutality have also become more rampant. With the upcoming presidency of a Marcos scion, more misinformation, disinformation, and historical distortion are bound to be unleashed—instilling fear and fixed thinking among the people. Given that these are a few of what may be considered the modern-day counterparts to the practices that the colonial government displayed, a similar response from contemporary reformists and revolutionaries may be expected.

Valor and fortitude both stand strong today, in a more unpleasant sense. These attributes are observed within the so-called Filipino Resiliency, a phenomenon that shows the strength of the common Filipino people amidst even the most trying times. However, this is because of the unreliability of those seated as leaders that the people are forced to turn to their neighbors for help instead of a corresponding official. Calls for social reforms are also high as ever, with the administrations addressing the ills of society through trivial solutions that hide the problem rather than solve it. In the modern age, we also see new forms of protests, ways of mobilizing, and invitations to orientations of reformist/ revolutionary groups. National democratic mass organizations (NDMOs or NatDems), together with fellow activists, mirror the acts of historical figures such as Jose Rizal, whose aspirations are all for the betterment of the nation, for the freedom and equality of each and every Filipino, for a more sustainable and progressive society. Colleges and universities are sources of enlightenment for students, just like Jose Rizal’s experiences in studying both locally and abroad. They are capable of producing people like Jose Rizal, whose advocacies leaned towards patriotism and freedom. We see these institutions produce publications initiated by students that are unafraid to criticize the failures of those in the higher points of society, even when they are threatened to be silenced by authorities. These actions taken by individuals represent the activism that the likes of Jose Rizal once displayed, that they put their words into action and fought against oppressive systems and that the political philosophies of Jose Rizal live on to develop into new fights that we must face. These actions are representative of the contemporary Filipino identity, full of valor and fortitude in hopes of seeing a changed nation with justice in its essence, humanity among its citizens, and strength in self-governance.