Marin,Nikki Patricia R.

Nationalism and patriotism are sometimes interchanged since they both show their love to their
nation. According to Hans Kohn, Nationalism is an ideology based on the premise that the
individual’s loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group interests.
Nationalism desires unity by their way of a cultural background, including language and
heritage. Patriotism shows love country and willingness to sacrifice for it by their values and
beliefs. According to George Orwell, Nationalism is more on that one’s country is superior to
another, while patriotism is simply a feeling of admiration for a way of life.

As for me, Dr. Jose Rizal is both a Nationalist and a Patriot. Why? He is an advocate for great
reforms during Spanish era that shows his love for our country, the Philippines. He is an author
of a books that has shown his principles that up to day, people are still learning from it. It shows
love for our country because he desires unity for his country without any violent actions or any
revolution act towards people who are making themselves as a superior to Filipinos but uses his
knowledge and virtues by writing novels. He emphasized the importance of the Tagalog
language and that language will not be a basis to know their status in life. But at the end of it,
Dr. Rizal just want our country to be one and to let us be proud of being Filipinos because we
will be proud as Filipinos.

The Life and Legacy of José Rizal: National Hero of The Philippines

Dr. José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, is not only admired for possessing intellectual
brilliance but also for taking a stand and resisting the Spanish colonial government. While his
death sparked a revolution to overthrow the tyranny, Rizal will always be remembered for his
compassion towards the Filipino people and the country.

Humble beginnings

José Protasio Rizal Mercado Y Alonso Realonda was born on June 19, 1861 to Francisco Mercado
and Teodora Alonzo in the town of Calamba in the province of Laguna. He had nine sisters and
one brother. At the early age of three, the future political leader had already learned the English
alphabet. And, by the age of five, José could already read and write.

Upon enrolling at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila (now referred to as Ateneo De Manila
University), he dropped the last three names in his full name, after his brother’s advice – hence,
being known as José Protasio Rizal. His performance in school was outstanding – winning
various poetry contests, impressing his professors with his familiarity of Castilian and other
foreign languages, and crafting literary essays that were critical of the Spanish historical
accounts of pre-colonial Philippine societies

A man with multiple professions

While he originally obtained a land surveyor and assessor’s degree in Ateneo, Rizal also took up
a preparatory course on law at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). But when he learned that
his mother was going blind, he decided to switch to medicine school in UST and later on
specialized in ophthalmology. In May 1882, he decided to travel to Madrid in Spain, and earned
his Licentiate

Medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid.

Apart from being known as an expert in the field of medicine, a poet, and an essayist, Rizal
exhibited other amazing talents. He knew how to paint, sketch, and make sculptures. Because
he lived in Europe for about 10 years, he also became a polyglot – conversant in 22 languages.
Aside from poetry and creative writing, Rizal had varying degrees of expertise in architecture,
sociology, anthropology, fencing, martial arts, and economics to name a few

His novels awakened Philippine nationalism

Rizal had been very vocal against the Spanish government, but in a peaceful and progressive
manner. For him, “the pen was mightier than the sword.” And through his writings, he exposed
the corruption and wrongdoings of government officials as well as the Spanish friars.While in
Barcelona, Rizal contributed essays, poems, allegories, and editorials to the Spanish newspaper,
La Solidaridad. Most of his writings, both in his essays and editorials, centered on individual
rights and freedom, specifically for the Filipino people.

As part of his reforms, he even called for the inclusion of the Philippines to become a province
of Spain.But, among his best works, two novels stood out from the rest – Noli Me Tángere
(Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of the Greed).In both novels, Rizal harshly
criticized the Spanish colonial rule in the country and exposed the ills of Philippine society at the
time. And because he wrote about the injustices and brutalities of the Spaniards in the country,
the authorities banned Filipinos from reading the controversial books. Yet they were not able to
ban it completely.

As more Filipinos read the books, their eye opened to the truth that they were suffering
unspeakable abuses at the hands of the friars. These two novels by Rizal, now considered his
literary masterpieces, are said to have indirectly sparked the Philippine Revolution.

Rizal’s unfateful days

Upon his return to the Philippines, Rizal formed a progressive organization called the La Liga
Filipina. This civic movement advocated social reforms through legal means. Now Rizal was
considered even more of a threat by the Spanish authorities (alongside his novels and essays),
which ultimately led to his exile in Dapitan in northern Mindanao.This however did not stop him
from continuing his plans for reform. While in Dapitan, Rizal built a school, hospital, and water
system. He also taught farming and worked on agricultural projects such as using abaca to make
ropes.

In 1896, Rizal was granted leave by then Governor-General Blanco, after volunteering to travel
to Cuba to serve as doctor to yellow fever victims. But at that time, the Katipunan had a full-
blown revolution and Rizal was accused of being associated with the secret militant society. On
his way to Cuba, he was arrested in Barcelona and sent back to Manila to stand for trial before
the court martial. Rizal was charged with sedition, conspiracy, and rebellion – and therefore,
sentenced to death by firing squad.Days before his execution, Rizal bid farewell to his
motherland and countrymen through one of his final letters, entitled Mi último adiós or My Last
Farewell.

Dr. José Rizal was executed on the morning of December 30, 1896, in what was then called
Bagumbayan (now referred to as Luneta). Upon hearing the command to shoot him, he faced
the squad and uttered in his final breath: “Consummatum est” (It is finished). According to
historical accounts, only one bullet ended the life of the Filipino martyr and hero.

His legacy lives on

After his death, the Philippine Revolution continued until 1898. And with the assistance of the
United States, the Philippines declared its independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. This was
the time that the Philippine flag was waved at General Emilio Aguinaldo’s residence in Kawit,
Cavite.Today,

Dr. Rizal’s brilliance, compassion, courage, and patriotism are greatly remembered and
recognized by the Filipino people. His two novels are continuously being analyzed by students
and professionals.

Colleges and universities in the Philippines even require their students to take a subject which
centers around the life and works of Rizal. Every year, the Filipinos celebrate Rizal Day –
December 30 each year – to commemorate his life and works. Filipinos look back at how his
founding of La Liga Filipina and his two novels had an effect on the early beginnings of the
Philippine Revolution. The people also recognize his advocacy to achieve liberty through
peaceful means rather than violent revolution.

In honor of Rizal, memorials and statues of the national hero can be found not only within the
Philippines, but in selected cities around the world. A road in the Chanakyapuri area of New
Delhi (India) and in Medan, Indonesia is named after him. The José Rizal Bridge and Rizal Park in
the city of Seattle are also dedicated to the late hero.

Within the Philippines, there are streets, towns/cities, a university (Rizal University), and a
province named after him. Three species have also been named after Rizal – the Draco rizali (a
small lizard, known as a flying dragon), Apogania rizali (a very rare kind of beetle with five horns)
and the Rhacophorus rizali (a peculiar frog species).

To commemorate what he did for the country, the Philippines built a memorial park for him – now
referred to as Rizal Park, found in Manila. There lies a monument which contains a standing bronze
sculpture of Rizal, an obelisk, and a stone base said to contain his remains. The monument stands near
the place where he fell during his execution in Luneta.

BAYANI VS. HERO

In mythology, a Hero is someone who possesses great courage, strength, and is favored by the
gods. In modern definitions, a Hero is: someone who has distinguished courage and ability,
someone who do good deeds for the greater good of others, and mostly works alone.

While a Bayani is someone who fights with his ‘bayan’ or community. Many Filipino bayani have
fought and died for the Philippines, some of which are Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario
Mabini, and many more. They can be considered as traditional Bayani, someone who fought for
the people of his community and for their greater good, and died in exchange. But in our
modern world, does the Philippines needs a bayani who needs to sacrifice his/her life for the
country? I think not.

A modern Bayani can be anyone who sacrifices even the littlest of things for the benefit of
others. A good example for a modern Bayani is Efren Peñaflorida. Peñaflorida sacrificed his time
and effort just to teach out of school youths in a simple pushcart classroom. He may not have
died for the country, but he responded to the needs of others – education.

Today, anyone can be a Bayani. A Bayani who can sacrifice the simplest of things like: time,
effort, and knowledge for those who are in need. We don’t need to die like our traditional
Bayani; but rather a simple act of kindness can be worth a lot to someone.

The next meeting, it was newly introduced to me the concepts, similarities and differences of
the words “hero” and “bayani”. A hero, on the one hand, was characterized to be posthumously
recognized. Thus, a hero, in order to be recognized, should be dead upon then.

While a bayani, on the other hand, does not need to be dead. However, a bayani could be
called a bayani if he has killed a number of enemies. The rank or intensity of being a bayani
corresponds to the number of enemies he has killed. Moreover, the name itself may vary in
meaning depending on the usage of the word.

First, it may mean the same as with the hero. Likewise, it may also mean victorious, as in
“namayani”; cooperation, as in “bayanihan”; and the likes. Also, the word “bayani” came from
different etymology. One of its derivations was called “bagani” which means in Ifugao “warrior”.
Thus, most of the bayanis and baganis, were all warriors.

Mentioning these things, I learned that the bayani as well as heroes are those who travel, and
throughout the travel, save his own people, collect women to highlight his masculinity; and later
on return to his home land.

Definition of Bayani

Most people conceive the idea of a hero as a person who after their death has been recognized
by a nation. The Oxford dictionary defines a hero as “a person, typically a man, who is admired
or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” (Oxford Dictionary,
2007). It would be easier to define the word Bayani to the English translation of hero, but to the
Filipino people, it has more elements.

First, Bayani is not gender specific. Second, the definition of Bayani, in a Filipino traditional
sense, is an unselfish act towards the human race; a person with extraordinary courage or
bravery that ignores extreme danger and exhibits strength to overcome difficulties. Lastly, a
Bayani never concern their own personal pleasure nor do they expect compensation for what
they do, rather their actions are done out of kindness.

In other words, a Bayani is one that humbly recognizes the interest of what is bigger that the
individual, like the group, the community, the nation, humanity and the environment. The need
to improve the state of humanity is instinctive and habitual.

According to the 1993 Technical Committee, the National Hero shall be

Those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire and struggle for the nation's
freedom.

Those who define and contribute to a system or life of freedom and order for a nation. Heroes
are those who make the nation's constitution and laws.

Heroes are those who contribute to the quality of life and destiny of a nation.

Three more criteria were added in 1995

A hero is part of the people's expression. But the process of a people's internalization of a
hero's life and works takes time, with the youth forming a part of the internalization.

A hero thinks of the future, especially the future generations.

The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or events in history, but of
the entire process that made this particular person a hero.

A national hero of the Philippines is a Filipino who has been recognized as a national hero for his
or her role in the history of the Philippines. Loosely, the term may refer to all Filipino historical
figures recognized as heroes, but the term more strictly refers to those officially designated as
such. In 1995 the Philippine National Heroes Committee officially recommended several people
for the designation, but this was not acted upon. As of 2007, no one had ever been officially
recognized as a Philippine national hero.

The reformist writer José Rizal, today generally considered the greatest Filipino hero and often
given as the Philippine national hero, has never been explicitly proclaimed as the (or even a)
national hero by the Philippine government. Besides Rizal, the only other Filipinos currently
given implied recognition as national hero such as revolutionary Andrés Bonifacio. While other
historical figures are commemorated in public municipal or provincial holidays, Rizal and
Bonifacio are commemorated in public nationwide (national) holidays and thus are implied to
be national heroes.

NEWS

How does one become a hero?

MANILA, Philippines – We hear the word “bayani” everywhere we go. We can hear it on the
radio, see it in movies, and read about it in books, newspapers and the Internet.

We call people “bayani” or hero when they do great things that are far from what people expect
them to do or be capable of, or something that entails great pain and sacrifice.

We have, for instance, taken to calling “heroes” our overseas Filipino workers who persevere in
other countries just to help their families, or those who would go to great lengths just to help
others.

For many Filipinos, “heroes” are the people whose faces they see on money.

What does it take to be called a “bayani” or a hero?

Bayani’ and ‘hero’

According to Dr. Zeus Salazar, a historian and a proponent of the Pantayong Pananaw school of
thought in the country, a “bayani” is a person who takes it upon himself to help others
expecting nothing in return.

The word “bayani”, he said, is related to the Bisaya word “bagani”, which means warrior, and
“wani”, which connotes sacrifice and concern for others.

On the other hand, the word “hero” in dictionaries usually refers to a courageous, wise and
strong man, and may also be depicted in stories and epics.

A hero is also often admired for his morals and respect for others.

While there are slight differences in what a ‘bayani’ and a ‘hero’ are, the two words are often
used interchangeably.

Rizal is known for his poetry and novels. His Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are
considered not only prime examples of Philippine literature, but are seen to have had an
important role in awakening nationalistic fervor in the indios.

However, not all acts need to have ignited a revolution in order to be considered heroic.

There are those who are considered heroes because they did something unexpected which
benefited a lot of people.

The Changing Forms and Definitions of Bayani and Kabayanihan

Pagkabayani already earns a long enough post of its own. That the ultimate Filipino goal is to be
a “bayani” or hero makes sense. But here’s where my contrarian tendency comes in: the bayani
that Filipinos have in mind is likely to not be the good kind.

Some of us know heroes as people who sacrifice for others. But heroes in the Filipino context, in
practice, are quite different. It seems to me that Filipinos see heroes as what warlords are –
people who are respected, pampered, praised, flattered, served, etc., simply because they are.
Going back to another opinion I gave, Filipinos want to be treated like kings without doing
anything to merit it.

In Tagalog, I’d call it tuka na walang kayod (or peck without work, taken from the saying, isang
kayod, isang tuka, or one unit of work, one peck to feed onself); simply put, reward without
work. Indeed, we have always said the moocher mentality of Filipinos is one of the serious
obstacles to improvement of our society. But in addition to this, our concept of heroes is also
twisted, because moochers cling to people who are “heroes” to them, while they themselves,
vainly, feel like heroes by sticking to such “heroes.” Perhaps the real national hero of the
Philippines, if we base it on this observation, is Juan Tamad.
The ‘bagong bayani’ of the Philippines

Sit at any airport in the Philippines and you can palpably feel the pulse of Filipino migration.
Overseas workers saying goodbye to their loved ones or returning home to be greeted by an
ecstatic family.

Every year since 2010, the number of Filipinos leaving the Philippines to work abroad has
increased – from 1.4 million in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2015. Today, approximately 10.2 million
Filipinos are living and working in more than 200 countries and territories.

With remittances expected to reach USD 28 billion (P1.4 trillion) for 2016, the equivalent of 10
percent of GDP, the contribution of overseas Filipinos to the Philippine economy is
unquestionable. About 20 percent of all households in the Philippines receive these
remittances. Migration has brought immense benefits. One does not have to look far to see
the family being supported through remittances that meet their daily needs, pay for their
education and health costs, build their houses and provide for the capital to start small
businesses.

Filipino migrants also make a considerable contribution to the social and economic landscape in
their host countries. They are the thousands of skilled nurses and medical personnel who
support the national health services in many countries. They are the seafarers that guide the
supertankers around the globe. They are the software engineers whose contributions are
largely unsung with the appearance of new technology that make our lives that much easier.

It is why they are and should be called “bagong bayani” (new heroes).

But for each of these successes, there are as many tragic stories that speak to the challenges
that migrants and overseas workers face. The many Filipinos that have left unprepared have had
to endure trafficking, illegal recruitment, abusive working and living conditions, contract
violations, exploitation, discrimination and social exclusion. They are at times deprived of
political participation, social protection and retirement benefits. Their children are left to fend
for themselves, they suffer broken marriages and disconnection with life in the Philippines.

Perhaps less recognized also are the challenges faced by those who choose to finally return.
Years of savings are underutilized or squandered because of the lack of entrepreneurial skills
and financial literacy. Skills and technologies painfully acquired cannot be productively applied
owing to the absence of supporting institutions that can match individuals to the markets.
Those that left with skills – teachers or engineers – but de-skilled after years of working as
domestic workers, now face no employment prospects on return.
Leaving often isn’t a matter of choice but coming back can be. So what more can be done for
our “bagong bayani” so that they are better equipped for a life overseas and importantly, can
better share their talents and good fortune on return? Beyond the macro considerations of how
to better exploit the windfall in remittances, some localized actions can make a huge difference.

Working with 35 local governments through the Joint Migration and Development Initiative,
UNDP has helped establish Migration Resource Centers and local migration committees to
better service departees and returnees. These Centers, guided by the local committees, act as a
one-stop hub for passporting, recruitment and other pre-deployment processes, but also in
facilitating access to health, education, social security services. They also provide investment
advice and business development training. These initiatives, at marginal cost relative to the
prospective gains, can be replicated in municipalities, towns and cities that are the source of
migrants and overseas workers.

To do so will require legislation that would encourage local governments to act more
expediently and responsively to the needs of migrants and overseas workers and require also
the provision of funding from the national government to supplement any local allocation for
the establishment of the Migration Resource Centers.

The 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan can be the anchor for such legislation and it should
define specific strategies to ensure that migration can work to the country’s and the overseas
Filipinos’ benefit. These include ensuring the protection and welfare of overseas Filipinos and
their families, strengthening their engagement in governance including participation in
elections, and facilitating the reintegration of repatriated and/or returning overseas Filipinos by
offering support services and promoting investment and retirement options. An initiative UNDP
supported that could be scaled up is the PESO Sense financial literacy campaign for overseas
Filipinos and their families. PESO Sense, through an innovative mobile application, provides
saving and budgeting tips, as well as investment and business advice.

Filipinos will take advantage of overseas opportunities that come their way – at times from
choice but most often out of necessity. They, the “bagong bayani,” must be given a helping hand
so that they can make the most of their opportunity whilst overseas and are the most
productive on their return.Titon Mitra is the Country Director of the United Nations
Development Programme in the Philippines.

OFWs have been endlessly called the modern day heroes of our country. Now, we have the
chance to honor and recognize the deserving OFWs who have exemplified the value, the skill
and the character worthy to become this year’s recipients of Bagong Bayani Awards (BBA) for
2005. The awards pays recognition and tribute to OFWs for their significant efforts in fostering
goodwill, enhancing and promoting the image of the Filipino as a competent, responsible and
dignified worker, and for greatly contributing to the socio-economic development of their
communities and their country. Furthermore, the BBA recipients are figures to give inspiration
and be worthy of emulation among other Filipino overseas workers. Award Categories
Beginning 2005, there shall be four (4) award categories. The segmentation of awards into
categories shall allow the proper recognition of specific contributions of OFWs corresponding to
the different areas of their involvements. The Blas F. Ople Award para sa Natatanging Bagong
Bayani, shall be the highest honor given to an OFW who satisfied all requirements of other
reward criteria. The four (4) categories are:

Bagong Bayani Award for Most Outstanding Employee

Bagong Bayani Award for Community and Social Service

Bagong Bayani Award for Culture and Performing Arts

Blas F. Ople Award para sa Natatanging Bagong Bayani

Awards Criteria General Pre-Qualifying Criteria Any Filipino working overseas, whether land-
based or sea-based, and possessing the following qualifications, may be nominated for pre-
qualificatiion

Must be or have been an OFW for at least two (2) years;

Has no past or present criminal or derogatory record;

Must have earned the respect, trust and confidence of his or her employer, superiors and co-
workers;Has proven his or her competence by being promoted in status or in rank, or awarded
citation or recognition for distinguished and outstanding performance of his or her work duties
and responsibilities, which in turn contributed to the growth or well-being of the company he or
she works or have worked for;Manifested love for work, concern for the company and his or her
co-workers; and Bagong Bayani Award for Community and Social ServiceMust have initiated or
has been sincerely involved, whether in the country or abroad, in community or socially
relevant services or activities aimed at either helping or extending assistance to fellow workers
or their families, or promoting the Philippines as a business or tourism destination;Have
selflessly offered his or her time, skills and/or resources, in collective or personal capacity, to
engage in such community services or activities that are beneficial to the people; orHave
performed heroic act or deed, or have saved life or property, the performance of which is
beyond the normal call of duty. Bagong Bayani Award for 9Culture and the Arts.Have worked or
have been involved in the promotion, preservation and development of Filipino culture and the
arts overseas; or Have excelled in his or her work as an artist abroad thereby earning
recognition, adulation or honor for Filipino artistry and talent. Blas F. Ople Award para sa
“Natatanging Bagong Bayani” This is highest and most prestigious Bagong Bayani.

Zeus A. Salazar is a historian, an anthropologist and the proponent of the "Pantayong Pananaw."

In 1955, he finished Batsilyer ng Sining sa

Kasaysayan, graduating as a summa cum
laude from UP Diliman. He obtain his
graduate degree from Sorbonne University in
Paris where he was awarded with "highest
distinction."

He was former chairperson of the University

of the Philippines-Diliman Department of
History (1987-1989) and a former dean of the
university's College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (1989-1992). He obtained his bachelor's
degree in history, summa cum laude, from the University of the Philippines in 1955 and finished
his doctoral studies in ethnology at Universite de Paris (1968). Salazar is fluent in different
languages, among them, Spanish, French, German, Russian and Bahasa Melayu.

He is considered one of the most illustrious historians to follow the great nationalist historians
Teodoro A. Agoncillo and Renato Constantino. His conceptual framework of Pantayong Pananaw
in Philippine social science refreshened the nationalist perspective that lost its luster after the
Marcos years. Pantayong Pananaw has provided a powerful framework for a new generation of
Philippine scholars in writing the history and culture of the Filipino "inert masses."

According to Ricamela Palis, Salazar in his many papers posited that:

“ ... the history of a specific community or nation should be construed primarily on the basis of
the internal flow of its own history. Colonized for centuries by foreign powers, (Filipino)
worldview is largely influenced by the works of scholars under the tutelage of colonial
education. Philippine history, therefore, may be construed based on our own understanding of
concepts and constructs that spring from two perspectives—first, from the likas o taal na
Pilipino; and second, from the Western worldview. ”

With the arrival of Western colonizers, Philippine "historiography was framed in Western
language and ideology," a bias that has been continued for several generations of Philippine
historians. Salazar devoted many of his writings to redress this imbalance of Filipino self-
representation and discourse. His analysis affected many of the approaches to writing social sciences,
especially psychology.

Who made Rizal the foremost national hero of the Philippines?

After the Americans took over (1899ff), they opted for Rizal over other Filipino candidates as
“national hero” because he was the safest - he had never fought against the USA (unlike
Aguinaldo) because he died before they invaded, and he apparently advocated non-violent
change (unlike Bonifacio). They sponsored Rizal’s image in schools and in public display (statues,
etc.) throughout the country. In the 1960s there arose a campaign - originally from UP, citing the
works of Teodoro Agoncillo - which used the fact of this sponsorship to try to promote Bonifacio
instead, sometimes trying to discredit Rizal as a sell-out

But many Filipinos had already made Rizal a “national hero” even before the Americans arrived.
The Katipunan itself venerated Rizal, and Reynaldo Ileto’s research reveals how deeply this
veneration - verging on worship - had penetrated the peasantry, especially in the Tagalog region.
So it could be argued that what the Americans were doing was simply confirming officially a
decision the Filipino people had already made unofficially, that Rizal was the greatest Filipino,
and the one who most completely embodied the national dream.

I have to say that as an outsider who has studied Philippine history for nearly 50 years I find
Rizal to be far and away the most admirable Filipino, worthiest to be the national hero (if we
must single out one of many). He is/was perhaps the country’s greatest novelist and among its
greatest essayists, historians, and poets, and he dedicated his life - and eventually his death - to
the welfare of “Filipinas” at a time when many of his countrymen were scarcely aware of the
“nation” as such. He had his flaws - who doesn’t? - but his combination of intelligence/creativity
and patriotism has rarely been equaled in any country. The Philippines should be proud of him.