College of Business and Accountancy
Pluma - Si Rizal, ang dakilang manunulat
(Reflection Paper)
After watching the documentary about our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, I felt
proud to say I am a Filipino. It inspired to become a better citizen in our own country.
Philippines is very rich in culture especially in history, history that should continue to
pass on to generation to other generation. The history about Jose Rizal is very inspiring
in a way that you would ask yourself, what can I do for my country, can I do the same
thing that Rizal did, can I sacrifice my life in order to save my fellow countrymen, what
is like to be Rizal? These are some question that Ive been asking. Rizal is not just a
hero but rather a symbol of unity. Without Rizal will there be freedom, I think the answer
is no because the moment Rizal died, our fellow Filipino realize the time has come to
fight back, we can no longer ignore the abusive authority, this is our country we should
be the ones setting rules not them or telling what are the things we can do or not.
Pen is mightier than a sword, I do believe in that quotation. Rizal two novels
made the Spaniards frighten. The first novel: Noli Me Tangere published in Europe to
spread the wrongdoings of the Spanish priest and how they abuse their power. It is
written in Spanish because they are the audience and after a few copy sent to the
Philippines they banned the novel. I think the reason behind it is they are guilty of their
wrongdoings and it might be the start of a revolution against them. The novel is truly an
art that full of passion and one day I also want to write a novel that can influence my
audience, to share my thoughts and ideas and most of all to inspire them. Writing is not
as easy as it seems because ideas doesnt come as whole it would take time to process
it to become a thing that can influence and allure the audience to listen and make a
further understanding. It is truly amazing when you write something and publish it will
become forever because as the documentary said pen can write ideas, you can kill the
writer but not the idea.
Blood is thicker than water. People may turn their back to Rizal but not his family.
They may not agree in every decision that Rizal make but they always support him. I
admire his brother Paciano for pushing Rizal to go to Europe to learn more and
enhance his skills. We all have different family and we cannot choose them because it
is up to the Lord who or what kind of family you will belong. I am lucky as Rizal is
because Ive been bless with the kind and loving family that always look after me and
support and guide me in everything I experience in life. Some people do not have family
because they were abandoned before they can even learn to speak. Rizal will not be
the hero we all knew without his family like her mother taught him to read, to respect the
elders and other good things. Maybe Rizal also wants to save our country so he can
also save his parents and brother and sisters from the abusive Spaniards.
Our culture will not be as great as we know if the foreign countries did not
colonize us. One of the good things that the Spaniards brought here is the Christian
religion, without their teachings we would not known our heavenly Father, the tradition,
the bible and other things about religion. Rizal was religious specifically when he was
young. I remember in my childhood days when my grandmother and I encounter
someone we knew, they will have a little bit of chat and then they would ask me to pray
before I start I would ask in English or Tagalog? They would laugh at first then tell me
what do they preferred.
It is my first time to know the names of the woman who have been romantically
related to Rizal, I knew that she had several girlfriends but I did not expect in every
country he has visited which amaze me by that fact. If I were Rizal traveling around the
world I do not think I would have that kind of relationship, I may admire the good looking
people around me but not in the way I would have relationship among them and then
ended it if I leave the country. I would never have the confidence to date two people at
the same time. I admire Rizal because upon courting or dating the two ladies named
Leonor, he was never caught and Im curious about it, why would he court Leonor
Valenzuela if Leonor Rivera was his long time girlfriend for eleven or twelve years and
got his heart broke when Rivera got married to another man. If I am in a relationship I
definitely stay committed to one person I truly love.
In the end I learned there is lot to discover about our national hero and a lot of
mystery that does not have a conclusion. I admire Rizal for his undying love for our
country.
