Jose Rizal and Philippine Nationalism:

Overview
Bayani and Kabayanihan
Chapter
10
Integrating Jose Rizal's life story and
works are very essential and should be
part of the education of all Filipinos. He
had dedicated his life fighting for the
rights of every Filipino from the Spanish
tyranny and oppression during the 19"
century. Today, many of us think that if
we hear the word "Rizal", we associate it
with the concept of bayani. Jose Rizal is
remembered not only as bayani, for even
some groups of people recall him as the
real messiah But the most certain of all,
he serves as an evident model and
inspiration to many Filipinos, here and
across the globe.
Jose Rizal's great dedication to life-
inspired writings, his idealism, and
aspirations sufficed as guide and
influence to love and serve the country.
These are the concrete concepts of
Rizal's pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa, as
voiced in his incredible writings. As an
educated man, Jose Rizal had been very
serious for to academic excellence,
philosophy and even scientific inquiry. As
a son and a brother, he manifested
respect, love, kindness and loyalty to his
parents, siblings and to his confidantes.
But Jose Rizal is not only a person who
valued education and family. He elevated
a great sense of love for the Filipino
people and for the nomeland,
Philippines, a character that enlists Jose
Rizal as a person worthy to be emulated.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this Chapter, students must
be able to: • define the meaning of the
word "hero"; • interpret views and
opinions about bayani and kabayanihan
in the context of Philippine history and
society;
and • assess the concepts of bayani and
kabayanihan in the context of Philippine
history and society.

OUTLINING JOSE RIZAL AS A BAYANI

In the late 19"h century, more Fillpinos

from Luzon were compelled to
revolt against the colonizers and fought
for their liberation. Movements were
pertain like the Katipunan of Andres
Bonifacio to fight the Spanish forces and
regain every right that was taken from
them. There is a need of a leader or
hero-
eaders to at least, unite and influence
other Filipinos to join heir campaign for
reforms and obtain the freedom that they
were longing since then. Many Filipinos
at that time became the source of
inspiration and one of them was Dr. Jose
Rizal.
This part will discuss the concept of what
is a hero and what is a bayani

There are a lot of discussions concerning

Jose Rizal as a hero and of
course, as a bayani. The term hero is
defined as a person noted for his or her
courageous acts or nobility of character.
The word originated from Latin, old
rench, and Greek from a coined term
which meant demi-god, a defender and a
protector. More common is, a man of
superhuman strength or physical
courage
a person who exhibits great
or
bravery. Due to his countless sacrifices
and
endeavors, Jose Rizal is tagged as a
hero in the Philippines. His acts,
particularly
his writings, had awakened and unified
the Filipinos to stand against Spain, As a
hero, Jose Rizal was-honored for guiding
the Filipinos to their consciousness in
regaining the country from the effects of
colonial assault.
In an article published by inquirer.net,
Ambeth Ocampo presented that
the word bayani is more than and is
richer than a than the word "hero".
Quoted
from Vic Santos' Vicassan Dictionary
(1978), the word bavani has the same
meaning with the term hero but with
several distinctions. "A hero, patriot
(taong
makabayan), cooperative endeavor,
mutual aid ...o be victorious, t prevail
mamayani). (Ocampo, 2016). On the
other hand, Zeus Salazar had collected
various definitions from local
ethnolinguistic communities, of which the
word bayani has similar concept
"Related to the Austronesian word
"wani," meaning helping and being
compassionate with others, hence,
"kawani" as of government.
The Visayan word "bagani" or fearless
warrior; and the word "bayani"
may mean "someone who gives service
to the bayan without expecting anything
in retur. (Chua, 2018).

Hero as a term can best be defined as a

person who possesses a great
courage, strength and moreover, a demi-
god. The term "bayani," in its cultural
context, is a person who did exemplary
acts for his community, in Flipino context,
bayan. Jose Rizal's love for the
Philippines qualified him to be called as
bayani.
He defended and even showcased his
great concern towards his countryen
through his valuable writings, not for
oneself but for the good of others.
Through
education, Jose Rizal envisioned a
country free from any oppression and
thus,
would help Filipinos to love the country
more, promote the progress and be the
great leaders in nation-building. Chua
concluded that a hero and a bayani may
be different in an academic sense. He
believed that heroes or our national
heroes
are special in terms of their immense
contributions to nation-building, and thus,
he reminded us, that in our own special
way, we can also be bayani in our own
ways. (Chua, 2018).

Classifications of A Hero

Throughout our history, there are

different kinds of heroes. They are
identified and classified in every period.
Here are some classifications that
formed a hero, based from their
manifested gallantry, principles and
heroism.
Pre-colonial Heroes
Oral traditions had provided us
information about these heroes or bayani
who had manifested their skill with ythical
abilities and enormous strength.
Their characters are presented as
somewhat full of mystery, mystical, or
having a nature of supernatural ability.
According to Scott (1988), heroes are
classified as epic hero and mythical
hero. Epic heroes are characterized as
saviors of their communities and the
scourge of enemy tribes. On the other
hand, a mythical
hero represents the culture and the
values of a specific period of time. This
type of hero is mythical in nature

Colonial Heroes
With the atrocities experienced n the
country, colonial heroes are
the first who carried out organized
revolts against the colonizers. For more
than centuries, Filipinos had suffered
much particularly in relation to religious
economic, educational and political
freedoms. These factors contributed to
theirlong struggle. Hence, they waged
war against Spain. These colonial heroes
are
named as native heroes and
revolutionary heroes. First, native heroes
are the
people who first manifested resistance
from the integration of the Spanish
colonial
rule. They were motivated by their
preference to keep their old-ways like
beliefs lands and even freedom. Hence,
they refused to embrace and integrate
Hispanic
cultures during the first phase of Spanish
colonization
Revolutionary heroes were fully realized
at the height of the nineteenth
century of Spanish colonization. These
heroes led the revolts against the
colonial, regime o have a plenary
liberation from he hands of the
colonizers
These heroes were fully driven by their
belief that Filipinos could now run and
govern the country. The last years of the
nineteenth century defined their cries
for a national revolution, he spring of the
Filipino revolutionaries. Furthermore
revolutionary heroes are classified as:

a. Known heroes- or also known as

popular heroes who had done
remarkable contributions against Spain.
This type of hero is known for
great leadership skills, courage and
unwavering wil
b.Unknown heroes- or also known as
unsung heroes who contributed
significantly at certain
stages
of the revolution but remained
unrecognized due to political and
academic reasons. Included in
this group are the leaders of the
millenarian groups and the upland
insurrectionists.

c. Martyrs- These heroes are clearly

defined as people who
courageously faced brutal punishment
and died untimely for their great
spirit and beliefs from the hands of the
enemies. Like Jose Rizal,
heroes or martyrs like him faced
excruciating fate just like the martyred
GomBurZa priests. (Maranan, 2015).
Post-Colonial Heroes
These types of heroes are also known as
post-war heroes. They possess
heroic qualities and are honored even
after the colonial period. These heroes
are
categorized as political heroes. A political
hero is a person who has a political
ideology. They are critics of the status
quo of a political system. With that, they
are often regarded as state enemies,
and in the long run, become victims of
state
and political violence. Political heroes
can be further classified into:"

a. Idealistic hero- This hero is an

advocate of the idealism principle. This
person believes in peaceful means of
effecting changes and reforms
in the society. Their intellectual prowess
is used to voice-out possiblesolutions for
existing problems rather than solving out
through violent
means.

b. Realistic hero- This hero prefers fast

and practical answers to resolve
any existing social and political problems
in the country. For a "realist",
real plans must be carried out
immediately to obtain certain results.
They believe in radical methods and
reject moderate and centrist
stances.

Modern Day Heroes

Modern day heroes are classified as
heroes or bayani in the new era
They emerged because of the changes
brought by the changing views of
political,
social, and economic life in a post-
colonial set-up They are heroes of this
age of global harmony and freedom
(Maranan,
2015). These contemporary heroes can
be further classified into:

a. Athletes- They are acknowledged

greatly because of their victories in
the feld of sports. They are even looked
up to by many as role models
and promoters of good health and
sportsmanship. One of the best
examples of a role model in sports,
particularly in the field of boxing
is now serving as senator of the
Philippines, Emmanuel "Manny"
Pacquiao.

b. Artists- These are artists who excelled

in their respective artistic
crafts that are honored in our very own
country and in the globe. Just
like Juan Luna and Felix Ressurecion-
Hidalgo, they had exemplary
showcased their masterpieces that vere
awarded and recognized
painters, actors and tv personalities.
abroad.They.can be singers,
writers or novelists and etc.

c, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW-

They sacrifice so much for their
families. Due to
Due to their ardent spirit and zealous
love for their families,
earned the tile as ang mga makabagong
bayani ng ating henerasyon. (Maranan,
2015).

JOSE RIZAL AS OUR NATIONAL HERO

WHO MADE JOSE RIZAL OUR
NATIONAL HERO?
There are scholars who have questioned
Jose Rizal's position as the
Philippines national hero. Certain
arguments were raised Andres Bonifacio,
not Rizal, should be the country's iconic
hero. History willtell us that Jose Rizal's
heroism and ideals was first recognized
by the Americans. It was through the
initiative of Governor William Howard Taft
that Jose Rizal was declared as a
national hero for the Filipinos.:
"And now, gentlemen, you must have a
national hero". These were
supposed to be the words addressed by
Gov. Taft to Mssrs. Pardo de Tavera
Legarda & Luzurriaga, Filipino members
of the Philipine Commission, of which
Taft was the chairman. It was further
reported that "in the subsequent
discussion
in which the rival merits of the
revolutionary heroes (M.H.del Pilar,
Graciano Lopez Jaena, Gen. Antonio
Luna, Emilio Jacinto, & Andres
Bonifacio--O.) were considered, the final
choice--now universally acclaimed a wise
one--was Rizal. And so history was
made.
During the commencement of the
American occupation, there were
Filipinos who disliked the idea of
embracing the American rule. With these,
they tended to fight the Americans, just
like Andres Bonifacio in 1896, whose
desire
to gain freedom for the people was
through armed approach. The committee
that campaigned for Jose Rizal was
composed of well-known Americans and
Filipinos. Aside from William Howard
Taft, who acted as the chairman, the
committee
was composed of Dean Conant
Worcester, Luke E. Wright, Henry Clay
Ide and
Bernard Moses. The
Filipinorepresentatives
were Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera
Benito Legarda and Jose Luzuriaga
(Maranan, 2015).
On June 11 of the ensuing year the
Philippine commission approved Act
no. 137, which organized the "politico-
military district of Morong" into the
"Province of Rizal. This was the 1st
official step taken by the Taft commission
to honor our greatest hero and martyr.
Furthermore, the Taft commission chose
Rizal out of several great Fillipinos as the
No. 1 hero of his people, still we can say
that what the commission did was merely
to confirm a sort of fait accompli, and
that was that Jose Rizal had already
been acclaimed by his countrymen and
the scientific world as the foremost hero
and martyr of the land of his birth. (de
Ocampo,
1961). In the issue on national hero
according to some who are asserting
Andres Bonifacio must be the one to
befor a more action-oriented persona,
acknowledged as the genuine national
hero. Bonifaci is qualified due to the
fact that he led the memorable revolution
that commenced the Filipinos' thirst for
freedom. Jose Rizal was a peace
advocate; thus, violence and armed
resistance
wilonly serve as a last resort. What he
really considered are reforms for the
government and equality to all he
citizens, that can be achieved peacefully
and
not hrough violent means. For the people
who acknowledged Rizal, he is an
exemplary person who is worthy of the
people's respect and admiration,
However,
many are s ill questioning he legality of
his status as our national hero,. Until
today, issues have been thrown to
discredit Jose Rizal. On the other hand,
Rizal's
advocators continued to promote his
legacy. He worked hard for his
aspirations
and principles that reflect the universal
passion of the Filipinos.

Esteban De Ocampo's article entitled

"Who Made Rizal Our Foremost
National Hero and Why", exposed the
dignity of why Jose Rizal is our national
hero. He presented distinctive
information that will larify Jose Rizal's
stand as to
many became so opposed to it. Ocampo
believed that "a hero is aprominent or
central personage taking admirable part
in any remarkable action or event. He
also added that a hero is "a person of
distinguished valor or enterprise in
danger
and "a man honored after death by
public worship, because of exceptional
service
During Jose Rizal's years of education
and experience abroad, he
to mankind.
was an active figure who participated in
the Propaganda Movement (1882-1896).
It was the aim of the propagandists to
make the Philippines be acknowledged
as a province of Spain and most
especially, to create reforms in the
Philippines.
So true, that Jose Rizal had contributed
ideas for the nationhood building. His
writings, like the Noli Me Tangere (1887-
Berlin) and later on, the El Filibusterismo
(1891- Belgium) had inspired more
Flilipino freedom advocates during his
time.
The book had triggered most of the friars
and even threatened Filipinos for
reading and owning one. Thus, it paved
the way to create the Noli-Fili Bill, known
today as the Republic Act 1425 or the
Rizal Law.
De Ocampo believed that with no
hesitations, Jose Rizal had immensely
of the oppressed Filipinos to regain their
freedom. Aside from formed the spirit
being known as the national hero of the
Philippines, Jose Rizal was tagged as
the First Filipino, the Pride
of the Malayan Race the greatest
Malayan, among others. His undying
efforts for the Philippines resulted to
requiring all schools
and universities, both private and public
to include in the curricula the life and his
works, the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, to inculcate in the people
and in the students his ideals of
liberation and nationalism

For the second and third definition given

by de Ocampo, Jose Rizal,
known for his pursuits for freedom and
nationalism, was courageous in dealing
and facing the attacks of the Spaniards.
He was not even attacked personally, but
even his famlily and his works were
mocked by the Spaniards so harshly.
Jose
Rizal had been a person whom the friars
during that time termed as "idiota, sin
verguenza, filibustero" and SO on.

Pepe, as he was fondly called by his

family,

had witnessed the, maltreatments of the

guardia civil to them especially during
his childhood days. For the Spaniards
most Filipinos during their century-
colonization was addressed as indios or
yndios By that time when he was
abroad, Jose Rizal had observed and
even experienced the discrimination
towards Filipinos. In his travels to the
American soil, he even saw the
indifference
of the white Americans to the black
Americans. With the bravery of heart,
Jose
Rizal never turned his face away from
those who needed him. He aimed high
for
his fellowmen, inspiring them and he
even faced the death sentence. He was
shot
to death by a firing squad at
Bagumbayan (now. Luneta Park) on
December 30,
1896.

Even before the outbreak of the

revolution against Spain in 1896, many
nad known and cited Jose Rizal's works
and his leadership. So true, that during
heir stay in Barcelona, Jose Rizal had
been elected as an honorary president
of the La Solidaridad, Chief of the Indios
Bravos in Paris France, and chosen as
responsible or chief of the Assosacion
Circulo Hispano-Filipino in 1891, and the
el fundador of the La Liga Filipina in
1892 established in the Phillppines.
History
tells us that the revolutionary society
known as Katipunan likewise
acknowledged
Rizal's leadership and greatness by
making him its honorary President and
by
using his family name Rizal as the
password for the 3"d-degree members

A year after Rizal's execution Gen.

Emilio Aguinaldo and the other
revolutionary chiefs exiled to Hong Kong
held a commemorative program there
on 29h of December 1897 on the
occasion of the 1st anniversary of the
hero's
execution and martyrdom. As de facto
president of the revolutionary
government
he made and proclaimed the National
Heroes Day and a national recognition
of Jose Rizal's death (Maranan, 2015).
Ocampo also added that Rizal was not
only a great hero, but the greatest
among the Filipinos. As a matter of fact,
the
Austrian savant Prof. Blumentritt judged
him as "the most prominent man of his
own people" and "the greatest man the
Malayan race has produced". We have
also shown during his lifetime that Rizal
was already acclaimed by both Filipinos
and foreigners as the foremost leader of
his people and that this admiration for
him has increased with the passing of
time since his dramatic death.
De Ocampo answered the question who
made Rizal the foremost hero
of the Phillppines. He
asserted that no singleperson or groups
of persons
were responsible for making the greatest
Malayan the No. 1 hero of the Filipino
people. Rizal himself, the Fillpinos and
those_ foreigners who acknowledged
him
contributed to make him the greatest
hero of the people. No amount of
adulation
and canonization by both Fililpinos and
foreigners could convert Rizal into a
great
herO if he did not possess in himself the
excellent qualities and merits. (Ocampo,
1961).
lumalaban mag-isa Ang bayani ay hindi
kailangang mamatay upan maging
bayani, kailangan niya lang gumawa ng
magagandang impluwensy at mnga
gawain sa bayan upang tawaging
bayani. May iba't-iba ring ibig sabihin
ang
bayani ayon sa gamit. Maaaring ang
bayani ay ang pagiging bayani sa
panahon
ngayon ay mahirap makamtan ngunit
lahat tayo ay may pagkakataon upang
maging bayani sa ating komunidad.
(Excerpts from Ricardo Nolasco's Ang
Pinagmulan ng Salitang Bayani, 1997).
Depending on the context, the word
bayani has different definitions from
time to time. In today's present context
the
term bayani can best be ascribed
to the OFW's or the Overseas Filipino
Workers, who sacrifice themselves away
from their families. Our kababayan who
work overseas had contributed much in
the global wvorld, helping our country's
economic stability and promote our
Filipino culture. OFW's or our
kababayans are now known as mga
bagong bayani
because of their strength in pursuing
work abroad to be employed and so as
to
provide for the needs of their families
here in the Philippines. Their willingness
of to lands, whose cultureand sacrifices
are form of swashbuckling to foreign
language are so much different from
ours.
Their bravery fuel their motivation to
work for their families and for the
country. A modern bayani can be anyone
who sacrifices even the littlest of things
for the benefit of others. Presently, a
good
example for a modern bayani is Efren
Peñaflorida. Peñaflorida sacrificed his
time and effort just to teach out of school
youths in a simple pushcart classroom.
He may not have died for the country, but
he responded to the needs of others
through education (Jacinto, n.d).
The terms bayani and kabayanihan are
changing and evolving. Like our
heroes, Dr. Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio,
Antonio Luna, their kabayanihan or
heroism had enriched the country with
their utmost love and concem. The story
of how we became Fililinos and the long
travels to becoming one nation through
our readings of the life and works of our
heroes, especially in Dr. Jose Rizal's lite,
serve as our inspiration and pride for us
to move towards the future. The lessons
of the past will help Us to plan for a
better future to enable ourselves to help
our
countrymen and to be the good ciizens
of
the Philippines for more generations to
come.

Chapter Summary

Dr. Jose Rizal had gained

a life-long award to himself. His
zealousness
and fervor love for the country and for his
fellow countrymen earned him the
award as our national hero. Jose Rizal's
heroism presents a highly important
lesson that teaches us to be devoted o
our family, considered as a highly-
honored value not only in his time but
also in today's present time, something
important that our hero valued in the
wholeness of Filipino character. His
various
experiences from his childhood days and
his.adventures abroad, awakened him
that there must be something to be done
for his beloved "Pearl of the Orient
Seas". By his pen, he boldly expressed
the might of his aspirations and carried
out reforms that he wished to be
embraced by his fellowmen. This
heroism or kabayanihan of Jose Rizal
made him as our very own bayani, the
very first
Filipino, who had invited the countrymen
to stand and "umasa sa sariling lakas"
(Filipinas), to promote to the rest of the
world the rich jewels of our Filipino
culture
and heritage