AS celebrations to Jose Rizal’s sesquicentennial came to a close on his 151st birthday last June 19, another chapter opens on his revered status as the National Hero of the Philippines.
Knowing Rizal and the greatness attributed to him can be a tough task. It all starts in the formative years of Filipinos who are given a taste of the achievements of the Great Malayan.
The list of Rizal’s accomplishments will grow as he ages. The fruition of which is his martyrdom and the words “Consummatum est! (It is done) leaving his lips. But there are stories and loopholes that elude our understanding of Pepe.
Much of Philippine history (that includes Rizal) is left to the keen eyes of historians and scholars. For the common folk, appreciation is enough. But to take it a notch higher, the interpretation of history will be an interesting exercise in creativity. For when we begin to ask what happened to uncertain events in the past, we start to cultivate curiosity. Curiosity, hopefully, will lead to inquiries, and eventually– to the truth.
We need not to be overwhelmed by Rizal’s greatness. For he is in our blood– a life-force perpetually coursing, giving us a hint of what we can achieve as a nation. His belief in the youth and education, primarily, should propel us into doing better on reforms in these sectors. The question is: should we wait for another 100 or 150 years to remember and live by the legacy he left behind with unquestionable authenticity?
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