Life and works of Rizal Monday 5:30-8:30PM Ma'am Vera

1. Who Made Jose Rizal Our Foremost
National Hero, and Why?
Esteban A. De Ocampo
Presented by : Arjay M. Obal
Lorie May Galasinao

2. Jose Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda
• Byword in every Filipino (pictures, names, stamp,
monuments, etc.)
“The doctrines of Rizal are not for one epochs
but for all epochs. They are as valid today as they
were yesterday. It cannot be said that because the
political ideas of Rizal have been achieved, because
of the change in the institutions, the wisdom of his
counsels or the value of his doctrines have ceased to
be opportune. They have not.”
-Rafael Palma

3. However…
• There are still some Filipinos believed that Rizal is a
“made-to-order” national hero and the great
manufacturer were the Americans particularly Civil
Governor William Howard Taft.
“And now, gentlemen, you must have a national
hero.”
(Addressed to Pardo de Tavera, Legarda and
Luzurriaga of Philippine Commission)

7. Noli me Tangere
• “the book is superior, … because he exposed to
the world the sufferings of Spain, … will bring you
equal glory”
- Antonio Ma. Regidor, exile in 1872
“Your work, as we Germans say, has been written with
the blood of the heart… Your work has exceeded my
hopes & I consider myself happy to have been
honored by your friendship. Not only I, but also your
country, may feel happy for having in you a patriotic
& loyal son. If you continue so, you will be to your
people one of those great men who will exercise a
determinative influence over the progress of their
spiritual life.”
-Ferdinand Blumentritt

8. Noli me Tangere
“heretical, impious & scandalous to the religious
order, & unpatriotic and subversive to the public
order, libelous to the government of Spain and to its
political policies in these islands”
- Faculty Committee of UST
“the importation, production and circulation of this
pernicious book in the islands be absolutely
prohibited”
- Censorship Commission (1887)

9. “What is most admirable in Rizal is his complete self-
denial, complete abandonment of his personal
interests, to think only of those of his country… He
heeded not his brother, not even his parents, beings
whom he respected and venerated much, in order to
follow the road his conscience had traced for him.”
-Rafael Palma

10. Rizal was recognized as the leading
Filipino even before his death
- Marcelo H. del Pilar
- Fernando Acevedo “Rizal distinguido amigo,
companero y paisano”
- Ferdinand Blumentritt
- Napoleon M. Kheil, Dr. Rheinhold Rot
- Vicente Barrantes

11. Here and abroad recognized his
leadership:
1. Honorary President of La Solidaridad (1899)
2. Organized and Chief of Indios Bravos (1899)
3. Responsible of the Spanish-Filipino Association (1891)
4. Founder of La Liga Filipina (1892)

12. • Honorary President of Katipunan and used his family
name “Rizal” as the password of 3rd Degree
Member (Bayani)
• Commemorative Program of his execution on Dec
29, 1897 at Hongkong (Junta)
• Universal homage of his colleague and friends

13. Who made Rizal the foremost hero
of the Philippines?
•NO SINGLE PERSON OR GROUPS OF PERSONS
•Rizal himself, his own people and the foreigners all
together contributed to make him the greatest hero
and martyr of his people.

14. Republic Act No. 1425
June 12, 1956
An Act to include in the curricula of all public and
private schools, colleges and universities courses on
the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his
novels Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
authorizing the printing and distribution thereof, and
for other purposes.
-Sen. Claro M. Recto

15. Republic Act No. 646
•Knights of Rizal
•Orden de caballeros de Rizal

16. HOUSE BILL 3431
• Andres Bonifacio Act of 2013
• Neil Colmenares and Carlos Zarate

17. National Heroes Committee (1993)
1. Heroes are those that have a concept of nation and
thereafter aspire and struggle for the nation’s freedom.
2. Heroes are those who define and contribute to a
system or life of freedom and order for a nation.
3. Heroes are those who contribute to the quality of life
and destiny of a nation.
4. A hero is a part of the people’s expression.
5. A hero thinks of the future, especially the future
generations.
6. The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of
an episode or events in history, but the entire process
that made this particular person a hero.