RIZAL AS AN AMERICAN SPONSORED HERO

INTRODUCTION
(https://philippinereporter.com/index.php/2019/06/14/was-rizal-an-american-sponsored-hero/)
Was the choice of Rizal as the Philippine national hero made by the Filipino people or was it the Americans who
made him so?
To which Ocampo replied: You cannot legislate heroism. Rizal was already a hero before the Americans came to the
Philippines. Wherever you ask Filipinos, Rizal is their hero. In short, it’s a kind of consensus that shouldn’t be
questioned. No elaboration was offered.
Then it came as a realization to some in the audience that there’s no law declaring Rizal the country’s national hero.
There is, in fact, research done on this issue of American involvement in selecting Rizal as the Philippine national
hero, putting him in the league of George Washington of the United States, Mahatma Ghandi of India, Jose Marti of
Cuba, Sun Yan Sen and Mao Zedong of China, etc.

HISTORY OF APPOINTMENT OF RIZAL BY AMERICANS

https://philippinereporter.com/index.php/2019/06/14/was-rizal-an-american-sponsored-hero/
It was Governor William Howard Taft who in 1901 suggested that the Philippine Commission that the Filipinos be
given a national hero. The Free Press of December 28, 1946 gives this account of a meeting of the Philippine
Commission and doon, sinabi nya nga na, Filipinos must have national hero and then it was also Taft who makes it
official that it is Rizal na napili nila..
Theodore Friend in his book, Between Two Empires, says that Taft “with other American colonial officials and some
conservative Filipinos, chose him (Rizal) as a model hero over other contestants. Hindi daw si Aguinaldo ang pinili
dahil he’s too militant or focus on revolution and the same rin po Bonifacio na medyo aggressive rin ang way of
fighting for freedom.
Kasunod naman po ng pag-appoint kay Rizal bilang national hero, nangyari din po iyong
(1) Act No. 137 which organized the politico-military district of Morong and named it the province of Rizal “in
honor of the most illustrious Filipino and the most illustrious Tagalog the islands had ever known, “
Ito po yung unang step na ginawa ng Taft Commission para makilala si Rizal as a National hero and this was
suggested po by Trinidad Pardo de Tavera
As the nationalist spirit of the Filipinos was at the highest point during that time, they were able to convince the
government to erect a monument for Rizal. Thus yung
(2) Act No.243 po ay nangyari rin which authorized a public subscription for the erection of a monument in
honor of Rizal at the Luneta, na makikita po natin sa Rizal park po sa Manila and this act din po stated that
the monument would not only bear a statue of the hero, but would also house his remains.
 (3) Act No. 346 [p.128] which set aside the anniversary of his death as a day of observance and set December
30 of each year as Rizal Day, and made it one of the ten official holidays of the Philippines. Rizal Day is a
day of appreciating Jose Rizal as a hero.
So, all of this acts po happen when Rizal acquired the official title of title of Philippine National Hero in 1901 under the
country’s first American civil governor, William Howard Taft.

The Americans, to win the sympathy of the Filipinos, and to convince them that they were pro-Filipinos more than the
Spaniards, gave Rizal official recognition. This was to make them conform to the new government. Rizal acquired the
official title of title of Philippine National Hero in 1901 under the country’s first American civil governor, William
Howard Taft. On the recommendation of Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, the Taft Commission renamed the district of
Morong into the Province of Rizal through Act 137 on June 11, 1901. This was one of the first official steps taken by
the Taft Commission to honor Rizal. Since then, Jose Rizal came to be known as the National Hero.
https://nhcp.gov.ph/historical-context-and-legal-basis-of-rizal-day-and-other-memorials-in-honor-of-jose-rizal/
https://www.coursehero.com/file/51197610/66881509-Why-is-Rizal-Considered-the-National-Hero-in-the-
Philippinesdocx/
https://www.joserizal.com/jose-rizal-national-hero/

Why was Jose Rizal considered as our national hero instead of Andress Bonifacio?
Rizal was given special attention as a hero by the American colonial administration because, unlike more radical
figures whose ideas could inspire resistance against American rule, he was interpreted to represent peaceful political
advocacy.
Governor William Howard Taft – appointed Jose Rizal as the National Hero for the Philippines
Implied heroes When William Howard Taft arrived in the Philippines in June 1900 and became the chairman
of the 2nd Philippine Commission, the American governor general suggested to name Rizal a national hero
Between Two Empires – Theodore Friend’ book
- says that Taft “with other American colonial officials and some conservative Filipinos, chose him (Rizal) as a
model hero over other contestants
-chose Rizal over five other contestants whose names are immortal in Philippine history such as Emilio Aguinaldo,
Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Juan and Marcelo H.
In Theodore Friend’s book, Between Two Empires, says that Taft “with other American colonial officials and some
conservative Filipinos, chose him (Rizal) as a model hero over other contestants – Aguinaldo too militant, Bonifacio
too radical, Mabini unregenerate.”
This decision to sponsor Rizal was implemented with the passage of the following Acts of the Philippine Commission:
(4) Act No. 137 which organized the politico-military district of Morong and named it the province of Rizal “in
honor of the most illustrious Filipino and the most illustrious Tagalog the islands had ever known, “
 (5) Act No.243 which authorized a public subscription for the erection of a monument in honor of Rizal at the
Luneta, and
(6) Act No. 346 [p.128] which set aside the anniversary of his death as a day of observance.

Rizal’s becoming the national hero was the result of American sponsorship. In 1901, William Howard Taft proposed
Rizal as our "National hero because:

 Rizal was already dead by the time the Americans colonized the Philippines.

 He did not make any negative remarks or embarrassing anti-American quotations.
 Martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal was a symbol of Spanish oppression.
 He urged reform from within by publicity by public education and appeal to the public conscience.
(explain bakit ito ang naging reasons ng mga Americans upang gawin si Rizal na National Hero)
https://www.academia.edu/31835063/American_Sponsored_Hero?fbclid=IwAR2iyiipINQmJX-rHI0P-FAn--
tC7e6lvPmaLu0G_T1pPb0qbBmKoRN4S64
https://philippinereporter.com/index.php/2019/06/14/was-rizal-an-american-sponsored-hero/

PROOF THAT RIZAL IS NOT AN AMERICAN SPONSORED HERO or RFUSES TO THE IDEA THAT RIZAL IS AN
SPONSORED HER
1.
2.

CONCLUSION:
ANSWER ALSO: Does Rizal being a national hero should be reconsidered since there are people saying that he
became a hero because American sponsored him?

•Rizal was already dead by the time the Americans colonized the Philippines.
•He did not make any negative remarks or embarrassing anti-American quotations.
•Martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal was a symbol of Spanish oppression.
•He urged reform from within by publicity by public education and appeal to the public conscience
Rizal used his intelligence, talents and skills in a more peaceful way rather than aggressive way.