RZL110/A82 October 31, 2020

Individual Thought Paper

In my perception, Rizal isn’t considered obsolete at the present moment since he it is still deemed
legitimate. While the notion of bringing the ideas of Rizal to where they really do belong, that is the past,
was sufficiently correct. Ironically, they are now generally embraced by today's culture, recognizing that
Rizal acted on his beliefs centuries ago. In the minds of every Filipino, greed, colonial mindset and the
likes seemed to invade. And I assume that under the tyranny of the wealthy, foreign language still reigns,
the grassroots of society still remain poor (before it was Spanish, now everyone preferred to converse
using American English, others were delighted to even mimic the British). This should not be the case,
because loads of disguised oppression and lies return with every ounce of tolerance we offer to these rich
people; for every foreign word spoken is a hundred indigenous words left unsaid.
Renato Constantino strongly underlined the question of foreign languages and how it facilitates
academic bondage. I find it amusing that nearly ninety-five per cent of any school curriculum (especially
those of higher quality) is mostly international, and only a small percentage is devoted to the vernacular
side. Most of us during high school had international literature and grammar taken separately, while
Filipino literature and grammar have been limited to an hour's worth of Filipino schooling.
The opinion of Constantino on "present-day Basilios" and the high-profile of the Filipinos for
foreigners is distinctly noticeable today. Nearly a third of the soon-to-be graduates opted for courses that
meet their number one goal of having a stable wage before going to college. In view of the increasing
inclination of foreign countries to employ Filipino nurses, most of them charge of nursing. Years earlier,
this was a pattern, and I looked at what happened: overseas Filipino nurses appear to multiply like a
quickly spreading bacteria, and nurses here in the Philippines were like the few vampires exposed to
sunlight. To say that we are deeply learning the best for our nation will be cynicism, as the planet persists
solely because of personal ambitions. But a certain essence of the illness of our country is selflessness, a
service to the Filipino people that we will hopefully accomplish through the prescription of Rizal. Let our
eyes and minds be open to concerns that affect not only ourselves, but also others (exceptions to that are
gossips).
To conclude, the vision and work of Rizal still endures and continues to contribute to the development
of our mother country. His words will nonetheless torment any Filipino, even though he is already dead.
And until he is heard, his greatness will be acknowledged in the restoration that we will witness. And in
the words of Constantino, Rizal proved himself deserving of his title, the supreme keeper of being the
National Hero of the Philippines, above Bonifacio, del Pillar and Mabini. We can see at this very moment
what makes him so different.

Reading:
Constantino, R. (1966). Our task: To make Rizal obsolete or not. In The Filipinos in the Philippines, and
other essays (pp. 137-52). Quezon City, Philippines: Malaya Books.