LET'S ELABORATE - MODULE 3 GRIZAL

1. WHEN DO WE SAY THAT A PARTICULAR MOVEMENT IS CONSIDERED A

REVOLUTION? WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP A REVOLUTION? IS
REVOLUTION NECESSARY?

THE WORD "REVOLUTION" IS ONE OF THE MOST USED AND, ONE ASSUMES, ONE OF
THE MOST ABUSED OF WORDS. IT HAS TAKEN ON A RANGE OF INTERPRETATIONS
BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE LITERATURE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, MAKING IT AS
FLEXIBLE TO PERSONAL NEEDS AS THE
SKIN OF A CHAMELEON. IN EVERYDAY SPEECH, IT HAS MEANINGS AND
CONNOTATIONS THAT ENTAIL BOTH THE GREATEST HOPES AND THE WORST FEARS.
SOME SEE IT AS THE GREATEST THREAT TO TODAY'S SOCIETY, WHEREAS OTHERS
SEE IT AS THE LAST GLIMMER OF HOPE IN THE GRIM WORLD WE CURRENTLY LIVE IN.
THE NOTION THAT REVOLUTION IS A CRISIS OF THE MOST CATASTROPHIC SORT THAT
MUST BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS IS SO PERVASIVE THAT THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE
DAY FREQUENTLY REFER TO IT AS THE ONE NOTABLE TRAGEDY THAT MODERN
SOCIETIES FACE. THE BEST WAY TO COUNTER ANY MODERN SOCIAL MOVEMENT IS
TO CALL IT A "REVOLUTION" OR IMPLY THAT IT IS A STEP IN THAT DIRECTION. ON THE
OTHER HAND, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE MOST CHERISHED TRADITIONS IN OUR
CULTURE ARE THE TALES OF SUCCESSFUL REVOLUTIONARY REFORMS. THE
PROTESTANT REFORMATION IS SEEN AS THE START OF THEIR FAITH AND ITS
COMPASS BY THEM.

2. WHAT IS THE REVOLUTIONARY BREAKING POINT FOR FILIPINOS? WHEN IS

BLOODSHED JUSTIFIED?

THE BREAKING POINT OF THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION IS THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION,

WHICH BEGAN IN 1896, WAS A MILITARY CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE FILIPINO
PEOPLE AND THE SPANISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. THE SPANISH COLONIZERS'
CONTROL OVER THE FILIPINOS WAS WEARING THIN. A CHARISMATIC LEADER NAMED
ANDRÉS BONIFACIO FOUNDED THE KATIPUNAN, A GHOST PROPAGANDA GROUP, TO
FIGHT THE SPANIARDS FOR INDEPENDENCE. THE KATIPUNAN COMMANDERS AND
EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE REVOLUTION WERE AWARE OF THE DANGERS OF BEING
CAPTURED, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF DEATH AND FORFEITING THE CHANCE TO
ESCAPE. THE ONLY OPTION FOR FREEDOM WAS VIOLENCE, AND INDEPENDENCE FROM
SPAIN WAS ONLY POSSIBLE VIA WAR. IT WAS A LONG FOUGHT WAR THAT SEEMED TO
LAST AN ETERNITY BUT ON DEC. 15, 1897, THE PACT OF BIAK-NA-BATO WAS
DECLARED. THOUGH IT WASN’T THE PERFECT DEAL FOR EACH SIDE, THE PACT
BROUGHT A TEMPORARY END TO THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION. THE PHILIPPINE
REVOLUTION WAS A FRIGHTENING, BUT NECESSARY ACTION BY THE FILIPINOS TO
PAVE WAY TO THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN.
LET'S ELABORATE - MODULE 3 GRIZAL

3. MANY SCHOLARS STILL SEEK TO FIND ANSWER TO THIS DILEMMA: DID HE

(RIZAL) OR DID HE NOT ENDORSE REVOLUTION? WAS HE A COUNTER-
REVOLUTIONARY?

RIZAL'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE AND REFORM IN

THE PHILIPPINES CANNOT BE DISPUTED BY HISTORIANS. HIS NOVELS,
PARTICULARLY NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO, SERVED AS A
FOCAL POINT FOR OTHER PATRIOTS TO UNITE IN SUPPORT OF THEIR NATION.
RIZAL WROTE IN HIS MANIFESTO OF DECEMBER 15, 1896, WHICH HE
ADDRESSED TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE, THAT WHEN HE LEARNED OF THE
REVOLUTION PLOT, HE OPPOSED IT AS UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE AND DECLARED
HIS FULLEST WILLINGNESS TO DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO PUT AN END
TO IT. WHILE MOST OF US BELIEVED THAT RIZAL DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO THE
CAUSE OF THE REVOLUTION AND REVERED HIM TO SOME EXTENT, IT COULD BE
EASILY INFERRED THAT RIZAL WAS NOT THE REAL LEADER OF THE PHILIPPINE
REVOLUTION. RIZAL THOUGHT IT WAS ABSURD AND DETESTED ITS ALLEGEDLY
ILLEGAL TACTICS. HE ALSO UNDERLINED THE NEED OF EDUCATION IN GAINING
LIBERTY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE BELIEVED THAT FOR REFORMS TO BE
EFFECTIVE, THEY MUST COME FROM ABOVE AND THAT THOSE THAT DO NOT
ARE UNSTABLE, IRREGULAR, AND UNPREDICTABLE. RIZAL MIGHT HAVE SPOKEN
AGAINST THE REVOLUTION BECAUSE HE THOUGHT VIOLENCE SHOULDN'T WIN.
DR. RIZAL'S HESITATION ABOUT THE REVOLUTION WAS SUPPORTED BY PIO
VALENZUELA'S ACCOUNT OF IT IN 1896, AFTER HE HAD BEEN SENT BY ANDRES
BONIFACIO TO DAPITAN TO ASK RIZAL'S VIEWS AND PERMISSION BEFORE
LAUNCHING AN ARMED UPRISING AGAINST THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT.
NONETHELESS, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RIZAL'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE
MOTHERLAND IS UNDENIABLE AND RECORDED IN HISTORY. EVENTS ARE BEING
HELD TO CELEBRATE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE AND HIS
ACTS OF KINDNESS. IT WAS THE INITIAL SPARK THAT MARKED HOW FILIPINOS
MUST BATTLE FOR EQUALITY, POWER, AND SOVEREIGNTY INSIDE OUR NATION.
ALTHOUGH IT IS TRUE THAT HE OPPOSED AN ARMED UPRISING, IT IS UNFAIR TO
DOWNPLAY HIS OWN METHOD OF RESISTANCE AGAINST THE SPANIARDS.