Across Asia and Europe and in some parts of the United States, monuments and markers have been installed in honor of a Filipino. Jose Rizal traveled the world in pursuit of his diverse interests, from the arts to ophthalmology and anthropology to the non-violent advocacy for freedom from colonial oppression and other forms of tyranny. Rizal did not endorse the armed uprising against Spain, believing that independence is wasted “if the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow.” But his writings against the “double-faced Goliath” of corrupt friars and bad civil government helped inspire movements for independence in other Asian countries. For his writings, he was exiled in Zamboanga and then executed.
Rizal’s worldview, formed decades before globalization became a buzzword, made him an early advocate of the need to make the Filipino globally competitive. In exile in Dapitan, he set up a school that taught the local language alongside Spanish and – in a move considered visionary – English. He was a strong advocate of the importance of education in nation-building.
Today, the 116th anniversary of Rizal’s death, also marks the centennial of the transfer of his remains from safekeeping in his sister’s home to the monument in the park named after him. The remains were originally interred in Manila’s Paco Park following his execution in Bagumbayan Field and were exhumed in 1898 by his relatives.
This day also marks the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the National Language by Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon. Announcing the proclamation in a radio broadcast by a Filipino president using the national language for the first time, Quezon said it was “the fulfillment of the cherished aspiration of Rizal.”
There are still many aspirations of Rizal for Filipinos that have yet to be fulfilled. Over a century after his execution, Rizal continues to serve as a model for Filipinos aspiring to achieve their full potential.