Rizal’s Life and Works

Week 1: THE STUDY OF RIZAL’S LIFE, WORKS and WRITINGS

Topics:
A. Rizal Law and the Teaching of Rizal Course
B. Rizal, A True Filipino Hero
C. Rizal, Pioneer Asian Nationalist Leader
D. Major Periods in the Life of Rizal

Introduction
This lesson is geared towards introducing students enrolled in Rizal Course on the need to
study the life, works, and writings of our national hero and on some issues on the heroism
of Rizal.
A. Rizal Law and the Teaching of Rizal Course
Republic Act 1425, otherwise known as the Rizal Law, mandates the teaching of the
life, works, and writings of Rizal in all schools in the country.

1. The Objectives of the teaching of Rizal’s life, works, and writings:

 To rededicate the lives of the youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism,
for which our heroes lived and died;
 To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping
the Filipino character;
 To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal’s life,
works and writings.
The teaching of Rizal Course in higher education institution in our country today is anchored
on the patriotic policy statements of Rizal Law and the patriotic goals set by the then Board
on National Education (Capino et al, 1997). These goals are as follows:
 To recognize the relevance of Rizal’s ideals, thoughts, teachings, and life values to
present conditions in the community;
 To apply Rizal’s ideas in the solution of day-to-day situations and problems in
contemporary life;
 To develop an understanding and appreciation of the qualities, behavior and
character of Rizal; and
 To foster the development of moral character, personal discipline, citizenship and
vocational efficiency among the Filipino youth.

B. Rizal, A True Filipino Hero

Among the country’s national heroes, Jose Rizal stands out. To many Filipinos, he is the
national hero of the Philippines. Actually, Rizal is only one of the country’s national heroes
who include Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Marcelo H. Del Pilar and others. They helped
guide in the formation of the Filipino national spirit and the Philippine nation-state. All of
these heroes are exemplars for all Filipinos to follow.
In making Rizal as our Filipino national hero, a number of conclusions can be drawn
(Guerrero, 19980:
 1. Since the Filipinos love peace, they have chosen to magnify a man of peace
above the men of war.
2. Because Filipinos are lovers of freedom and justice, they have given their worship
to a man who gave up all comforts and pleasures of peace for their sake.
3. Filipinos prize virtue more than victory, and sacrifice above success.

C. Rizal, Pioneer Asian Nationalist Leader

Fisher (1962 called Rizal the Pioneer Exponent of Liberal Democracy in Asia. According to
her, even before Gandhi and Sun Yat-Sen began their career of political agitation, Rizal
through his essays, letters, and novels had already spoken out with firmness and courage
ideas on liberal democracy. These ideas include the following:
 The worth and dignity of the individual;
 The inviolability of human rights;
 The innate equality of all men and races;
 The necessity for constitutional government;
 Due process of law;
 Popular sovereignty as the basis of all political authority;
 Faith in human reason and enlightenment;
 The rights of masses to public education; and
 Belief in social progress through freedom.
Rizal was the first Asian leader to assert that the aforementioned ideas and principles be
established in Asia for the benefit of the Asians. It was through Rizal that the basic tenets of
modern and social democracy were given a major voice in Asia for the first time. Thus, Rizal
deserves to be called the First Asian Nationalist Leader.
D. Major Periods in the Life of Rizal
First Period (1891-1872)
This was the period when young Rizal learned how to read, write and listened to stories that
triggered imaginative and critical thinking on his part. It was a period when the following
values and virtues were developed in him: industriousness instead of idleness; creativeness
instead of unproductiveness; rationality instead of blind acceptance; and dignity instead of
servility.
Second Period (1872-1882)
This was the first turning point in the life of Rizal. He was then 11 years and was enrolled at
the Ateneo Municipal, despite the objection of his mother. It was the period when Father
Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora were unjustly executed by the Spanish government. The
martyrdom of these three priests led Rizal to be awakened to the abuses of the regime and
at the same time led him to devote himself in the future to avenge the victims of injustices
and cruelties of the Spanish colonizers.
Other significant developments in Rizal’s life during this period:
 Strengthening of his religious foundation;
 Cultivation of the drive toward excellence;
 Conception of the Philippines as his fatherland;
 Envisioning the Philippines receiving light through education; and
  Perception of the intimate alliance between religion and education.
Third Period (1882-1892)
The year 1882 was the second major turning point in the life of Rizal. It was at this time that
Rizal decided to leave the Philippines to escape persecution. He went to Europe and
everywhere he went, Rizal was always an observer and a student, learning from everything
he saw, read, and heard. He urged the Filipino colony in Spain to prove that Filipinos can
compete with the Europeans in intellect and talent. Through his membership in exclusive
societies of scholars and scientists in Europe where he presented monographs and was
greatly appreciated, Rizal provided his compatriots an example.
During this period, Rizal took part in the Propaganda Movement, based in Europe. Through
his articles, essays, and novels, he sought to make truthful disclosures of the political, social,
and economic conditions in the Philippines.
Fourth Period (1892-1896)
The year 1892 can be considered the last turning point in the life of our national hero,
before his martyrdom on December 30, 1896. Rizal was exiled in Dapitan. It was here in
Dapitan, where Rizal demonstrated what an individual can do and accomplish within a short
period of time. It was here where he detached his connection with politics and devoted
more of his time in practical service and usefulness to the community.