ALEGADO, AVA V.BSMA 4Hist17 TTH 1:30-3:00pmReaction Paper: “Jose Rizal: The Best the Filipino could be”Passed: December 6, 2011

In my own point of view, no one can be stepped upon, if no one voluntarily lies down. A country could not be colonized, if its people would not consent to it. As what was stated, the sway of colonialism didn't just depend on armory, it depended on psychology. The Filipinos back then were overwhelmed with a great sense of inferiority not just military but mostly, mental. They did not have much courage to fight for our land and our nation for the reason that their lack of nationalism primarily blocked their visions of fighting against thousand of armed men. I would agree that Jose Rizal was a great Filipino, but not above any other Filipino who also died for our country, it was just that his story was well-publicized. I personally believe that the sense of patriotism does not directly lead to dying for one's country alone, but it also relates to those who survived the war and those who are sill fighting for it.

Jose Rizal was deemed national hero because it took one man, in his character, to uplift the Filipinos' spirits to battle against what is ours and to claim our democracy. What set him apart was his contest against oppression and advocacy to enlightenment. He saw only one kind of Filipino, he saw a race of equal and capable people. In his literary works, he sent messages that woke up a sleeping nation and not once had he favored a certain class or society. He had a mindset that all of us are extraordinary and we can be the best that we can be, if we are given the right encouragement and resources. Jose Rizal saw our past and how wonderful our future could be if we had our freedom, and he wasn't greedy to sacrifice his life to give what he have now, our own country. And yes, he had a keener sense of Philippine history and a keener sense of Filipino identity.

As he would say, “ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi makakarating sa pinaroroonan.” This statement adequately gives us the notion that though revolutions have passed, we still have to battle with colonialism. Though Rizal is no longer alive, he still shouts for nationalism. I know for a fact that he sees the situation of the Philippines at present and weeps for what he sacrificed his life for, is being slowly taken away from us. I guess it is up to us to equip ourselves with the right knowledge and values to know what we should stand for and to know our past in order to visualize our identity. After reading the article, I reconfirmed my principle and belief that we all have what it takes to be like Rizal, to be the best of what Filipino could be, if we only choose to be PROACTIVE and not REACTIVE. It only happens, when we say, “I CHOOSE” rather than, “I MUST.”