a. How does El Filibusterismo impact our current society?

Besides Noli MeTangere, El Filibusterismo also serves as an inspiration to the Filipino people. It
brings a profound effect on Philippine society in terms of views about national identity, the
Catholic faith and its influence on filipino’s choice, and the government’s issues of corruption,
abuse of power, discrimination, and issues relating to the effect of colonization on people’s lives.
The novel awakened the Filipinos in the past and still awakening the Filipinos in our generation
today, to fight for what we believe is right. By this novel, we can still seek reform or changes
against our government since we are in a democratic country.

b. Is the novel too radical for the national hero? Why or why not?
I think somehow the novel is too radical because the novel tackles how cruel the government or
the Spanish colonizers to the Filipinos and it shows revolutionary and greediness as what the
main character portrays. Jose Rizal wanted to have a reform since he saw that most of the
Filipinos are suffering under that colonization. It seems unfair to treat Filipinos wrongly by the
Spaniards. So this novel leads Filipinos to revolt against the Spanish colonizers. But of course,
we don’t need to become violent just to seek for freedom, we can fight for our rights without any
violence.