'Must' readings on Rizal for official candidates

Recently, a call from Benito (“Beniting”) Legarda Jr., distinguished economist, historian, Rizalist and my fellow Harvardian, recounted a rather amusing or odd incident. At a book fair, he bought “Rizal: Man and Martyr” by the American missionary Frank C. Laubach. On opening the book, he found the following dedication: “To Dr. Sixto Y. Orosa, with highest regard and admiration, Frank C. Laubach”. Beniting surmised that my father must have lent the book to a friend, and as is usual with borrowed books, they are never returned!

Beniting agreed to my buying the book from him, and every page increases my already tremendous admiration for Rizal.

With national elections just a month away, Laubach’s book — or any other book on Rizal for that matter — should be read by all the official candidates for their inspiration or enlightenment. Lest I be accused of plagiarism, quotes are from Laubach, Rizal himself, or from his friends and even enemies.

For candidates who make exaggerated promises: Rizal in all his life never broke a promise.

For corrupt candidates: No man on earth could persuade Rizal to do what he considered dishonorable. He could not bear the thought of defaulting one centavo.

For candidates who engage in excessive campaign spending: In Berlin, Rizal lived daily on a bowl of coffee and a piece of bread. He pawned everything he had to be able to publish El Filibusterismo. He wrote: “I have already pawned all my jewelry. I live in a little room. I eat in the cheapest restaurant to economize so I can publish my book.” It took Rizal three years to write El Filibusterismo and he was deep in debt as the book was being published. Its value to Filipinos, then and now, cannot be over-estimated.

For candidates who engage in black propaganda and revile their opponents: Rizal advised La Solidaridad editors thus: “Take care not to insert exaggeration, nor lies, nor low nor unworthy language. We can win our cause by speaking the truth because right and justice are on our side.”

For candidates who are running for self-interest or gain: Rizal recalled: “Even as a child, my imagination was awakened and I swore to dedicate myself to avenge so many victims” (from oppression). Since Rizal was ten, he kept asking: “What can I do for the unfortunate and the oppressed of my country?” Much later, he said: “We have only once to die, and if we do not die well, we lose an opportunity which will not again be presented to us.”

For candidates who love to indulge in petty conflicts and intrigues, and who keep shifting loyalties: In the office of the La Solidaridad journal, a political controversy arose. One faction wanted Rizal to be the leader; another wanted Marcelo H. del Pilar. The latter’s friends were printing the kind of attacks that always appear in political conflicts. Rizal resolved to take himself out of the picture at once. He wrote Del Pilar: “I ought not to introduce division in the publication of La Solidaridad. I prefer to be buried in solitude and isolation, rather than disturb the harmony and peace of its editors. My politics — if the life I am leading can be called politics — is to become eclipsed and, to leave you as the head of the Filipino politics, I wish to be sure that I may never be regarded as a stumbling block to anybody, even though this involves my own fall.”

For unqualified candidates: Rizal was a physician-surgeon-ophthalmologist, historian, dramatist, novelist, poet, painter, sculptor, educator, economist, ethnologist, linguist, naturalist — he sent 384 specimens to the Dresden Museum — theologian, psychologist, sanitary engineer, scientific farmer.

During his exile in Dapitan, he introduced new ideas in agriculture, machinery, health, sanitation and town beautification.

For the presidentiable who has to work very hard on his English if he wants to represent the country abroad: Rizal spoke 22 languages including English, French, German, Latin, Greek, Arabic, Malayan, Sanskrit, Swedish, Dutch, Catalan, Chinese, Portuguese and Japanese. In Dapitan, he learned Russian by reading Russian fiction with the help of a dictionary!

For candidates with little or no respect for women: Rizal had a lofty reverence for womanhood and decried the double standard of morality.

Rizal achieved everything he wanted to achieve through passionate, purposeful work. He lived the noblest, cleanest life of his generation, demonstrating that the Filipino race was able to produce men endowed with the highest attributes, who could be an honor to the human race.