Rizal and Philippine Nationalism: Learning Outcomes
Rizal and Philippine Nationalism: Learning Outcomes
Rizal and Philippine Nationalism: Learning Outcomes
“As God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfill obligations or a role in
the sublime drama of Creation, I cannot exempt from this duty, and small thought it be, I too
have a mission to fill, as for example: alleviating the suffering of my fellowmen.” – Jose Rizal
Learning Outcomes
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At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to
1. Understand nationalism on the context of Rizal’s love for our country; and,
2. Explain the relevance of nationalism in the context of bayani and kabayanihan at present.
Vocabulary
bayan/banua – an indigenouss Filipino concepts of community and territory that may be related
to nationalism
nation – a group of people with a shared language, culture, and history
nation-building – a project undertaken with the goal of strengthening the bond of the nation
nation-state – a state of ruling over a nation
patriotism – a feeling of attachment to one’s homeland
Introduction
Throughout Philippine history, the challenge of building the Filipino nation has persisted,
impacted by colonialism, violent invasion during World War II, a dictatorship, a pandemic, and the
perennial struggle for development. The works of Jose Rizal map how historical events shaped
the national hero’s understanding of the nation and nationalism.
“I assure you that I have no desire to take part in conspiracies which seem to me very
premature and risky. But if the government drives us to the brink, that is to say, when no
other hope remains but seek our destruction in war, when the Filipinos would prefer to die
rather than endure their misery any longer, then I will also become a partisan of violent
means. The choice of peace or destruction is in the hands of Spain, because it is a clear
fact, known to all that we are patient, excessively patient and peaceful, mild, unfeeling,
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etc. But everything ends in this life, there is nothing eternal in the world and that refers
also to our patience.”
Rizal had a pervading constancy and love for his country which meant love for justice, for
liberty, and for personal dignity. He was the first Filipino to give expression to Philippine
nationalism in his writings, to chart a route to national unity for his people and to elaborate
nationalism as tangent to freedom and emancipation. This was the time when the Filipinos had no
sense of national consciousness nor a desire for independence. In his novels he envisioned a
fulfilled society, an emancipated people and a progressive nation mature in political freedom. This
dream was nursed at a time when it was political treason for a Spanish subject to conceive of a
society independent of Spain.
Despite political inhibitions, Rizal aimed at the restoration of his people’s dignity and the
recognition of their natural rights. Rizal’s political conviction and concept of nationalism matured
between 1882 and 1887. From a distance he gained a better perspective of his country’s problems.
He saw his country abused, maligned by vices of the Spaniards and the Filipinos alike, helpless
with their oppressed unhappy people. The country inspired in him not inky sympathy but an
enduring love. He began to understand now that the prolonged subjugation of his people was
caused primarily by two factors, namely, the absence of national consciousness and the poor
training and education of the people. Gradually, his own lifetime plan emerged into a reality of
direction and dedicated leadership.
He not only showed his people how to live nationalism; he also conceived an idealism of
dedication and intrepidity for the betterment of Philippine society. Hence, his blueprint for nation
building includes the importance of education, instilling racial pride and dignity among the people,
the promotion of national consciousness, the re-orientation of values and attitudes, and the
willingness to sacrifice for the country.
The long period of colonial domination and the constant humiliations and discrimination
experienced by the Filipino people from their colonial masters produced a feeling of inferiority and
a lack of racial pride and dignity. This attitude must give away to a restoration of the people’s sense
of pride in them as a nation. Rizal wanted to inculcate into his people an understanding of history,
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from which, he believed sprang the roots of genuine nationalism. Without these roots, nationalism
would degenerate into a flippant, flag-waving category, which he criticized in Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo.
He wanted his people to dedicate their thoughts, words, and actions not solely to
themselves as individuals but to themselves as citizens of a nation. National consciousness is a
key to the attainment of a better society. The people must reorient their values and attitudes in
order to contribute to the task of nation building.
Rizal emphasized that the task of nation building is accompanied by hardships and
sufferings which the people must inevitably experience to bolster their courage. The sacrifices
experienced by a people strengthen their bonds and unity and their sense of independence.
The paramount problem during Rizal's time was the development of a national
consciousness, that is, the creation of the spirit of nationhood in the minds of people. It was
important that the people realized the sordid facts of their existence, the cause of their oppression,
and the sacrifices they must endure to be freed from colonial domination. Rizal felt the need for a
psychological approach to rouse the people's pride of their ancient heritage. This was necessary
to restore the native dignity which had been denied them by three centuries of systematic
humiliation and degradation. Once stirred from their inertia of servility and apathy, they should
organize themselves and direct their efforts and action toward building a nation. Rizal envisioned
a nation of individuals who would make responsible and independent judgment and who would
think in terms the welfare of the whole community. Hence, a national community would be created
where the fruits of Filipino labor would benefit the people and not a foreign master.
1. Organize a group of Filipino students in Madrid and to form the nucleus group that in the
future would use their varied talents to work for solutions to the Philippine problems.
2. Proposed to them the writing of a book similar to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin
and Eugene Sue's The Wandering Jew which would deal with the various aspects of Filipino
life. The book would be the project of the Circulo Hispano-Filipino with each member
contributing a chapter. (This book was entitled Noll me Tangere, 1887).
3. From the records in the vast Filipiniana collection of the British Museum, Rizal had pieced
together the past history of the Philippines which revealed that even before the coming of
the Spaniards; the Filipinos already had a developed culture. And of these records, he chose
to annotate Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. (Excerpt from his dedicatory remarks "It
is necessary to first lay bare the past in order to better judge the present and to survey the
road trodden during three centuries."
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4. He wrote “The Indolence of the Filipinos” which came out as a series of 5 articles in La
Solidaridad from 15 July to 15 September, 1899.
5. Feared the possibility of the Filipinos resort to arms as a desperate means to fight, he wrote
El Filibusterismo to show his countrymen the price they should be willing to pay and the
problems they would have solve first before plunging the country to revolution. He warned
his countrymen to consider seriously its decision to revolt against Spain if no reforms were
granted.
6. He thought of showing the people how to organize themselves into a compact homogenous
body in the Philippines. Rizal’s major plan of organization was the establishment of La Liga
Filipina (Philippine League).
7. When he was deported to Dapitan he had already accomplished a major part of a self-
imposed mission of redeeming the Filipinos from medieval colonialism. His exile
demonstrated the hero's untiring efforts at continuing the program of action that he
relentlessly pursued for the realization of his blueprint of nation building. Establisment of a
school and a clinic therein, the community development projects he undertook.
The nationalism he taught his people did not end with the attainment of independence. He
looked beyond independence to the progressive development of a new nation in politics,
economics, technology and education. His writings conveyed concepts that are applicable for ill
time especially to the present in all major areas of political, socio-economic and educational
reforms and his moral teachings arid principles convey the essence of national awareness. His
profound ideas and teachings have become the model and inspiration for. Philippine national
leaders.
"Rizal's Socio, Political and Economic Thought: Thought of Change" is about his main
political thought, his objective for the Philippines - the politics of change, a thought of change. His
literature would be led to the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule. His
whole works would determine his political thought scrutiny. There is still complexity whether he
supports reforms or revolution. This now would assess his political beliefs and to what certain
degree is his position towards the political spectrum. His political thought between reform and
revolution will also determine his thought regarding the society and economy.
According to Jose Rizal’s governments are established for the welfare of the people…”
similar to Lincolnian democracy he wanted to inflict the following of Rights, 1. Magna Carta -
protecting the life, liberty and property of Filipinos. 2. Restoration of Filipino representation in the
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Spanish Cortes. 3. Freedom of the press, of association, of religion and equality before the law and
4. Freedom – assimilation of the Philippines,
Educational Reform
Rizal insisted that education is necessary condition to a free society. Mass education for
all the people opted for a school that would respect academic freedom and develop the potentials
of student education. Education should liberate Filipinos from ignorance because education is as
important ingredient in the task of nation building. Rizal always considered education as medicine
or something that could cure the problems of Colonial Philippines. He believed in education that is
free from political and religious control. He asserted that reform cannot be achieved if there is no
suitable education, a liberal one available to Filipinos.
In 1893, Rizals idea of education as an instrument of change has not diminished a bit. In one of his
letters to Alfredo Hidalgo, a nephew, Rizal stated: Life is a very serious thing and only those with
intelligence and heart go through it worthily.
He left the UST to pursue his studies at the Madrid Central University was in conformity
with the ideas of Fr. Jose Burgos, one of the three martyred priests of 1872. Fr. Burgos strongly
advocated that Filipinos should study abroad because overseas education was considered an
essential step to achieving reform. And this thinking he shared with his only brother, Paciano
He wrote in 1890 which described the education of the masses under the Spanish regime. Rizal
said the education of the Filipinos from birth until the grave is brutalizing, depressing, and anti-
human.
It is through this scenario that we could better understand why Rizal was clamoring for a
different education, a new idea of teaching the Filipino youth. Rizal believed that even modest
education, no matter how rudimentary it might be, if it is the right education for the people, the
result would be enough to awaken their ideas of perfection and progress and eventually, change
would follow
This is the situation how education was acquired during that period. Rizal’s idea of
education was therefore the most enlightened. His concept of education was felt as early as when
he was only 16 years old.
In one of his poems, Education gives luster to the Motherland, he dwelt on the excellent
conception of education as a means of instilling enchanting virtue and raising the country to the
high level of immortality and dazzling glory.
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Inspires enchanting virtues;
She puts the Country in the lofty seat
Of endless glory, of dazzling glow.
And just as the gentle auras puff
Do brighten the perfumed flowers hue.
So education with a wise, guiding hand,
A benefactress, exalts the human band.
1. The curriculum of a modern liberal education should include either: religion, hygiene,
mathematics, the physical, natural and social sciences, literature (Spanish, rhetoric
and poetry), languages (Spanish, English, French, German, Chinese and Tagalog),
physical culture, and the arts.
2. There should be a weekly accounting by teachers of student progress and conduct,
the well-behaved ones to be rewarded with a posting of their names, and parents
should be informed monthly of the progress, conduct, and health of their children.
3. The school should insist on accuracy and punctuality.
4. Teachers ware to be employed on passing an admission examination on a competitive
basis if there are several applicants.
5. There is to be no racial discrimination in the admission of students.
6. Gymnastics and swimming are obligatory.
7. Classes would be six hours a day including a total of two hours of physical culture and
the arts.
8. Human relations between teachers and pupils should not be ignored. The teacher
should work with the students and be their leader and co-workers as well as their
mentor.
9. Instruction should be practical and should stimulate thinking rather than be a parrot
like reproduction of book learning. Students should learn by participation in a natural
situation. Field work has its place in effective instruction.
10. Education should receive substantial aid to make instruction effective. It is not
sufficient that there are students to be taught. There must be proper accommodation
and equipment conducive to learning.
11. The teacher should have prestige, reputation, moral strength and some freedom of
action on Socio-Economic Reforms
Moral Principles
"Morality was the application of reason and conscience to specific problems of behavior."
Activity
7
Direction: Briefly answer the following questions:
1. Identify and explain the different concepts formulated by Rizal in the pursuit of National
Development and Progress.
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2. Are his concept applicable to the present and future generation of the land?
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3. How do you think Rizal would react to the present nationalism drive of bayani and
kabayanihan of Filipinos amidst the present pandemic crises brought by COVID 2019?
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4. What is the youth’s role in shaping our future considering the concept of “new normal”
evolving in our present society?
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References
Constantino, R. (1996). Our task: To make Rizal obsolete. Filipinos in the Philippines and other
essays, 137-52. PS9993 C6 F4a.
Joaquin, N. (2005). Anatomy of the anti-hero. A question of Heroes, 50-64, Mandaluyong City:
Anvil. PS9993 J62 2005.
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). 2015. Selection and Proclamation of
national heroes and laws honoring Filipino Historical figures (1995).
Pangilinan M. C. (2018). Life and Works of Dr. Jose P. Rizal: a modular approach based on the
new CHED curriculum. Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc.