Rizal, acclaimed but never proclaimed a national hero
by Hark Herald C. Sarmiento
Did you know that Rizal was never officially declared our national hero?
Yes. You read it right. Even though popular acclamation highly regards Rizal as the
Philippine National Hero, it remains just that - a sentiment. The National Commission for
Culture and the Arts (NCCA; 2002) was clear in its stance that "no law, executive order or
proclamation has been enacted or issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical
figure as a national hero. Even Jose Rizal, considered the greatest among the Filipino
heroes, was not explicitly proclaimed as a national hero." The reverence he now receives
from the people is a "tribute and recognition" to our country's social transformation.
The commission further states that "heroes, according to historians, should not be
legislated (NCCA, 2002)." It is enough that we learn about them in the academe, where we
recognize and appreciate their significant contributions to our country.
Existing documents such as Aguinaldo's Decree on December 20, 1898, declaring
December 30 of every year as a day of national mourning in honor of Rizal and other victims of
the Philippine Revolution, and Act 137 of the Taft Commission were efforts to honor Rizal with
the highest regard (Cabico, 2019) but insufficient to make him the Philippine National Hero.
Who, then, is our national hero?
On November 15, 1995, the Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee
recommended nine Filipino historical figures to become our National Heroes, namely: Jose
Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo del Pilar, Sultan
Dipatuan Kudarat, Juan Luna, Melchora Aquino and Gabriela Silang (NCCA, 2002; Iglesias,
2016; Alba, 2009).
In light of these discussions, our national administrators (like the president) and
legislators (Congressmen and Senators) must "set the record straight" and make a formal gesture
or declaration about the state of our national hero selection to avoid further confusion (De
Guzman, 2012).
To date, textbooks and school teachers still single out Rizal as our national hero.
Legislations such as Republic Act (RA) No. 1425, RA 11144, Proclamation No. 126, among
others, still mention him as a "national hero and patriot."
To correct this misleading information, pre-conditioned to us during our school days,
does not intend to demote Rizal but give justice to the other equally valiant and brilliant national
heroes that the Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee has formally
recommended.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Heraldry officially
recognizes only a few of the many national symbols that we know. Rizal is not one of them.
Apart from the Philippine flag, national anthem Lupang Hinirang, coat-of-arms, and other
heraldic items and devices stipulated in the Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of
the Philippines, the NCCA names only five official national symbols (Cabico, 2019). Governor-
general Frank Murphy declared Sampaguita and Narra as the national flower and national tree in
1934 during the Commonwealth. Former President Ramos proclaimed the Philippine Eagle as
the national bird in 1995 and the Philippine Pearl as the national gem in 1996. Former president
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared Arnis as the national sport in 2009 through RA 9850 (Ty,
2012; Alba, 2009).
Other traditionally-claimed national symbols like Tinikling, Cariñosa, Carabao, Bangus,
Nipa Hut, Anahaw, Mango, Sipa, and others, don’t have the legal bases to support them (Alba,
2009).
References:
Alba, R. (2009, August 28). In Focus: Official National Symbols of the Philippines. National
Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved from https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-
and-arts/in-focus/official-national-symbols-of-the-philippines/
Cabico, G.K. (2019, June 19). Rizal is not a national hero Filipinos believed he was. The
Philippine Star. Retrieved from
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/06/19/1927792/rizal-not-national-hero-
filipinos-believed-he-was
De Guzman, S.S. (2012, December 31). Is Jose Rizal a national hero? The Philippine Star.
Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2012/12/31/891680/jose-rizal-
national-hero
Iglesias, I. (2016, August 27). Nine national heroes. The Manila Times. Retrieved from
https://www.manilatimes.net/2016/08/27/weekly/the-sunday-times/nine-national-
heroes/282407/
NCCA. (2002). Selection And Proclamation Of National Heroes And Laws Honoring Filipino
Historical Figures. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved from
https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/selection-and-proclamation-
of-national-heroes-and-laws-honoring-filipino-historical-figures/
Ty, R.A. (2012, April 24). 'Rizal is not our official national hero' and other facts about PHL's
national symbols. GMA News Online. Retrieved from
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/artandculture/256043/rizal-is-not-our-
official-national-hero-and-other-facts-about-phl-s-national-symbols/story/
