Pee Jay A.

Bautista Life and Works of Rizal

BSME - 1I Prof. Eduardo Doyaoen

Part 1:

The Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo

Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are two classic works written by

our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, that are both similar and dissimilar in
various respects. The two novels are similar in that they both discuss Spanish
oppression, the abuse of power by the church, and discrimination against
Filipinos. Noli and El Fili are both strongly anti-clerical, if not anti-Catholic.
Because the latter is published in a sequel or continuation, they only express
one storyline.

Nonetheless, they differ in numerous ways. To begin, Noli Me Tangere,

Latin for "touch me not," relates to the letter of John 20:17 in the King James
Version of the Bible, where, when Mary Magdalene tried to touch the newly
resurrected Jesus, He responded, "Touch me not; for I have not yet ascended
to my Father." Meanwhile, El Filibusterismo is a Spanish title that translates
to The Reign of Greed in English. Noli is a love story or a romantic tale
dedicated to our motherland, but El Fili is a political novel dedicated to Gom-
Bur-Za and related with vengeance and anger. Because the definitions of the
two names differ, so does their topic or gist.

The major protagonists in the two stories are diametrically opposed

because Ibarra discovered that he needed severely punish Filipinos in order
for them to fight back and awaken their spirits in order to strike Spaniards.
Noli portrayed a soft-spoken, patient, empathetic, and idealistic Crisostomo
Ibarra, but El Fili portrayed an angry and resentful Ibarra who disguised
himself as a wealthy jeweler named Simon.

The first novel- Noli, is written in the reformist idea that would expose
the ills of Philippine society after Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Noli, showcase the cultural beliefs of the Filipinos, Rizal’s philosophy, and
reformist ideology, and describes perceived inequities of the Spanish Catholic
friars and the ruling government. The first novel is dedicated to our
motherland since it constitutes the unified national identity and
consciousness and resembles Filipino culture in that time period. Despite the
fact that Rizal urged for direct representation to the Spanish government and
a stronger role for the Philippines in Spain's political affairs, this novel
indirectly impacted the Philippine Revolution of independence from the
Spanish Empire.
 As we analyze the gist, theme, and intent of the two novels, we can
derive the conclusion about which of those two works are better. In order to
describe effectively which novel was better compared to the other work of
Rizal, a basis or categorization must be established first. In this paper, the
author would like to use the impact of the novel on the liberation or awakening
of the Filipino spirit to revolt the Spanish colonialism as the basis for the
argument about which novel was better, to prevent being biased and
subjective. The said basis includes the intensity of the vengeful emotion that
can accumulate by reading the novel itself.

First, I would like to state my argumentative statement- El

Filibusterismo was a better novel compared to Noli Me Tangere. El
Filibusterismo is Philippine national hero José Rizal's second novel. It is the
sequel to Noli Me Tangere, and it, too, was written in Spanish. It was initially
published in Ghent in 1891. The novel revolves around the main character,
Crisostomo Ibarra, who has returned for revenge as "Simoun." The novel's
dark theme contrasts sharply with the previous novel's hopeful and romantic
atmosphere, indicating Ibarra's resort to using violence to solve his country's
problems after his previous attempts at reforming the country's system had
no effect and seemed impossible given the Spaniards' corrupt attitude toward
Filipinos.

As we analyze the content and the theme of El Filibusterismo, we can

sense that Rizal wants to create a way towards the realization of the Filipinos
about how rude the whole system of the Spanish regime to them and he also
wants his people’s spirit to burst and stand for their national identity as a
Filipino and not as “Indios”- that the Spaniards used to call them. “It was
Rizal's writings and his growing reputation as a leader of Filipino nationalism
that led the revolution to stared, although Rizal didn’t agree on the plan of
Bonifacio” This quote can tell that Rizal’s works truly influence the revolution
and greatly constitutes the awakening of Filipino nationalist spirit, But how?
Why those writings are that effective to moved his countrymen’s hearts?

The sequel of Noli- El Filibusterismo gives vengeful and resentful vibes

as we read through chapters, there are a lot of scenes that portray the Spanish
government's abuses and corruption. Considering this fact and the intensity
of how strong is the emotional attack caused by this novel compared to the
previous one- the Noli Me Tangere, which has a softer approach since it was
a mere love story. It is fair to conclude that El FIlibusterismo was way better
than Noli Me Tangere as anchored to our judgment basis- the impact of the
novel on the liberation or awakening of the Filipino spirit to revolt the Spanish
colonialism; the intensity of the vengeful emotion that can accumulate by
reading the novel itself.
Part 2:

Jose Rizal- Ang Buhay Ng Isang Bayani Documentary

In this documentary, we see Jose, or 'Pepe,' as his family affectionately

refers to him, growing up in a large family, much like any other family at the
time. With nine sisters and one older brother, he had a colorful life. From an
early age, he was interested in academics, with his mother teaching him the
alphabet when he was just three years old. Dona Teodora also taught Pepe to
read and write in Filipino and Spanish. Rizal's mother carefully and tirelessly
taught him everything there was to know. In his self-account biography/diary,
Pepe wondered where he would be if his mother had not instilled in him a
passion for learning at a young age.

Due to the fact that he left the comforts of his family at a young age,
Jose Rizal not only became academically mature but also emotionally mature.
Jose Rizal went to the Ateneo Municipal de Manila with his older brother
Paciano to study. Jose Rizal said that it was the first time he felt like a grown-
up since he had to fight back tears. There were also many instances in his
brief life when he was forced to abandon his family. He did not excel in school
because he left his family at an early age, most likely owing to homesickness
and other connected concerns. In addition, his mother was apprehended as a
result of an allegation; People who seized Dona Teodora were people his family
not only knew but also welcomed into their home for celebrations and
gatherings. That's when he began to doubt people's devotion and learned to
construct a wall. He felt deeply betrayed, and the encounter may have put
notions in his head about how people aren't always who they appear to be.
Even at that young age, he realized how uncertain and unpredictable people
can be.

And when the time came, he needed to leave his motherland to study
in Spain, so despite being a devoted son to his parents, he once again left the
comfort of a familiar country to study in a new and distant country. There
was no amount of Spanish influence in the Philippines that could have
prepared him for the cold temperature of Spain. But Jose Rizal was a tough
man, and he finally found things to do in Spain with his fellow Filipinos, such
as attending plays and social gatherings. Despite being regarded as
originating from an impoverished background, he went throughout Europe.
Rizal is, without a doubt, a cultured man. Despite his extensive travels across
the continent, he did not drop his two works- Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo. The two novels show what life was like in the Philippines
during the Spanish invasion and how Filipinos felt when the conquerors
arrived. Rizal achieved amazing things for this country; via his writings,
Filipinos were awakened to the ugly truth we were in, which resulted in the
birth of the revolution. It's as though his remarks were the spark for the
rebels' fight during those times. It also demonstrated that a pen may be a
powerful weapon in times of raging battle.

Moreover, Rizal's life is a life full of knowledge that we might embody.

His determination to complete his novels while facing various difficulties made
me realize that in life, we must teach ourselves how to be strong in the face of
adversity if we are to achieve our goals. Rizal faced starvation and financial
hardship at the time, yet he did not give up. With this, I was able to remember
that we should replicate Rizal's perspective in life in order to overcome despair
and other negative things that tend to break apart your dedication to strive. I
am impressed at how Rizal lived his life; even though he died at a young age,
I believe he lived it to the utmost. This made me realize that life is too short,
thus if we want to reach high heights, we must not stop, but rather work
harder than ever before in order to produce a solid result of that specific
dream that we are going for. Life is too short to be concerned, and if we allow
our sober times to dominate over our vision, I am confident that we will never
complete our objective- as for Rizal, he definitely completed his missions.

I recollected the times when Rizal had to go through a time of despair

and fatigue as a result of things like financial difficulties that had previously
impacted him in Spain. But he persevered a testament to his strong will and
resolve as a person who constantly cares for people and believes in their ability
to grow and rise above the lethargy and mediocrity brought on by an unjust
system. This nature of Rizal resembles many of our countrymen that are
willing to sacrifice their personal interest of well-being just to benefit their
loved ones- just like my noble father, an Overseas Filipino Worker, which in
modern times can be considered as Contemporary hero. We’re proud of him,
just like how Filipinos acknowledge Rizal’s writings as it was the spark of
something our ancestors longed for a long time, a long time enduring the
sufferings from the Spanish Colonialism.

This film/documentary portrays the life of Jose Rizal as a loving child,

a student, a friend, and as a hero who loves his family, countrymen, and
motherland- to the point that he was willing to sacrifice his own life and well-
being for the benefit of the things that he treasure, treasure up to another life.
In addition, we are also aware of how he declined to be rescued from the prison
and be one of the columns of the revolution led by Bonifacio- from this, I think
he knew that he had done enough for the sake of his country, so does, that
time he wants to choose his own welfare- his peace and freedom, even though
it means death.
Part 3:

"Kalayaan Para Sa Kasalukuyang Nakabilanggong Bayan"

Ilang daang taon ang nakakalipas ang bansang ginagalawan na’tin

ngayong ay hindi tulad ng iniisip ni’yo- malaya, masaya at mapayapa, bagkus,
ito’y magulo at ang mga mamamayang Pilipino ay nagdurusa. Ngunit
umusbong ang mga dakilang banayi na nagbuwis ng kanilang buhay para sa
kapakanan ng ating pinaka-mamahal na bansa, ang Pilipinas. Gayunpaman
masasabi nga ba talaga na’tin sa’ting mga sarili na tunay na tayong malaya?
Masasabi ba talaga na’tin na hindi na nakabilanggo ang ating bayan? Ako si
Pee Jay Bautista, ay isasampal ko sa inyong lahat ang katotohanan.

Ang Pilipinas ngayo’y walang duda’y malaya na mula sa mga dahuyang

mananakop, ngunit ano nga ba talaga ang Kalayaan? Ito ba ang kakayahan
ng isang estado upang magsarili? O mayroon pang ibang kahulugan nito para
sa mga Pilipino? Ibang kahulugan na maski ang mga mamamaya’y tila
nagbubulag-bulagan.

Sa paglipas ng panahon, sumabay ang pag-unlad at globalisasiyon

sa’ting bansa, nagdala ito ng mga makakabagong kaisipan, produkto,
teknolohiya at iba pa, ngunit sa labis na pagtanggap natin ng mga bagong
kaalamang ito, ang iba sa’ting ay tila ba’y mas pinapahalagahan na ang
dahuyang kultura tulad ng mga Koreyano, and iba sa’ting ay mas pinipiling
tangkilikin ang mga lika na galing sa kanila, iidolo at gawing inspirasiyon ang
mga “Korean idols” sa halip na ang ating mga bayani na tulad nila Jose Rizal
at Andres Bonifacio na namatay para sa’ating kapakanan. Idagdag mo pa rito
ang ilang nag-aaral pa ng mga lengguwahe ng mga banyaga upang maging
“cool” sa tingin ng iba, ngunit ang kaalalman sa sariling wika’y di kayang
palawakin.

Ako’y nadidismaya at nalulungkot sa tuwing iniisip ko na ang lahat ng

mga sakripisiyo ng ating mga bayani noon ay ito lang ang kakahantungan,
na ang lahat ng pinaglalaban nila, mula sa sarili gobyerno hanggang sa
sariling pagkakakilanlan bilang isang malayang bansa ay mistulang
nababalewala dahil sa patuloy na pagtangkilik at pagsunod ng mga Pilipino
sa kung anong uso o trend sa wikang Ingles- na bunga ng globalisasiyon at
malayang pag gamit ng teknolohiya.

Hindi kalayaan ang mismong sumisira sa tunay na kahulugan nito,

kundi tayong mga malalayang tao na umaabuso sa paggamit nito.