LESSON 3: Rizal as a Symbol

Pre-Discussion:
The readers of Rizal are said to be more powerful than Rizal himself. He lived and
died in the past, but readers make him exist. Readers can actually manipulate his image
depending on a specific agenda. The proliferation of ideas had indeed generated a
“kanya-kanyang Rizal.” This lesson will focus on the symbolic Rizal which in reality is
the kind of Rizal we see in our daily lives. It is expected in the end that the “Millennial”
would generate their own version of a symbolic Rizal.
Exploration: Finding a Rizal Meme
We may not notice it, but ever since we were born, Rizal has already been with
us. In fact, it is normal that we first encounter Rizal not in schools but instead in other
venues outside the academic life. This is Rizal as a social construct, the hero. Various
realities were generated by people who live in different fields, spaces, and time; with
different dispositions, emotions, viewpoint, and biases. This activity aims to expose the
“millennial” to the many Rizal’s invented by people.

Lesson Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students can:
1. differentiate the historical Rizal from the symbolic Rizal;
2. analyze photos of Rizal as signs and symbols; and
3. assess the significance of symbols in strengthening national solidarity and sense of
community.

Lesson Discussion:
When Jose Rizal was set to face his execution, he left a dying wish to his family.
According to him, he should be buried in the earth, preferably in Paang Bundok (now
North Cemetery) with a stone and a cross on top. His name, date of birth, and death
must also be indicated. If possible, he requested for a fence that would mark his grave.
He then stressed that no anniversary celebration must be conducted.
Nothing has been achieved in his last will. He preferred to be buried in
PaangBundok but he was buried first in Paco Cemetery and later transferred beneath
his monument in Luneta on December 30, 1912. He requested a stone marker; instead,
the nation granted him a grand stone monument. It is true that his final resting place is
surrounded by a fence, but such fence is not a grave, but in a big park which became a
tourist spot for travelers and meeting place for lovers. Most of all, the whole nation
commemorates his death every year with full military honors.
This is not first instance the icon of Rizal was subjected to manipulation of other
people. Oftentimes during the meetings of Katipunan, his portrait was hung on the walls
of the meeting room so that members would see his face clearly. This was because
Andres Bonifacio made Rizal the honorary president of the secret society. Debates
may trigger controversies with regard to the true intention of the supremo; but one thing
is for sure, Rizal was considered a symbol by many Filipinos.
So it was evident then that “two Rizals” appeared in the course of our history. The first
one is the Historic Rizal who lived and died in the 19 th century Philippines. He is the
Rizal born and raised in Calamba, Laguna, who studied at the Ateneo Municipal in
Manila, travelled and studied abroad, published Noli Me Tangereand El Filibusterismo,
founded the La Liga Filipina and the Martyr of Bagumbayan in 1896. He was the true
person, the actual Rizal we can read in History books.
The Symbolic Rizal is the “second” Rizal. He is the kind of Rizal we have today. He
is the Rizal in Luneta, the Rizal in the one peso coin, the Rizal in postage stamps, the
Rizal as Tagalog Christ, the Rizal as an icon of Rock, the Rizal in t-shirts, and the list
goes on. This kind of Rizal has indeed become a text open to many meanings.

Rizal as Text, Signs, and Symbols

To further elaborate, a text is anything that can be read, interpreted, and analyze.
The key concept here is reading. Reading is making sense of the world and our lives;
we read spaces, places, our historical circumstances, and a plethora of images
unleashed by the media, literature, and art. Text has no intrinsic value or meaning apart
from readers. The message it contains is an effect of the reader’s interpretation rather
than a product of its author.
 There are two types of text. The first one is sign. It is a kind of text which
represents a fixed reality and posits itself as a means of portraying the reality. As in the
words of Umberto Eco, a sign is a “closed” text which implies that the freedom to create
meaning is being monopolized. For Roland Barthes, a sign is a readerly text, which can
be understood as a kind of text whose meaning is predetermined; the reader is merely a
site to receive information. Examples of signs are the Peso sign and slippery when wet
road sign.
On the other hand, a text can be a symbol which conveys meaning not only about
itself but about cultural processes and relationships; meaning, therefore that is not
constant but constituted through a human agency. In the words of Umberto Eco, a
symbol is an “open” text which implies that any interpretation may be valid. For Roland
Barthers, a symbol is a writely text, meaning that the reader is in a position of control
and takes an active role in the construction of meaning. The reader is turned into a
writer. Examples of symbols are the photos below:
To apply this concept to the study of the Rizal course, the following photos are
Rizal as signs, whose meaning is predetermined.

ASSESSMENT:

In the space below, answer the following question in two to three sentences. (5points
each)
1. What is the difference between the historic Rizal and symbolic Rizal?

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2. What is a text? a sign? a symbol?

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3. What instances in the past show that Rizal’s image was manipulated by people?
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STUDENT’S JOURNAL (20points)

Reflect on the concept of text. It can be deduced using the definition of text that it
is impossible to establish a single meaning since all things viewed as text are open to
many interpretations. Applying this in the study of History, the past may be considered a
text, especially when it has been put into writing. It is really impossible to come up with
a single historic fact?
LESSON 4: Rizal and Nation-building

Pre-Discussion:
Rizal had envisioned in the past a future generation of enlightened and educated
Filipinos; a time when Filipinos would read his writings not as a heretic but as a person
with the same national sentiment as he had once. Today, Rizal is not just read out of
appreciation but also as a primary weapon to dictate the identity of the Filipinos, which
in turn has a correlation to building the nation. This lesson aims to point out the role of
Jose Rizal in today’s process of nation-building.

Exploration: Choral Recitation

Rizal wrote a poem containing his farewell message before his execution. He put it
inside a small cooking stove and gave it to his sister Trinidad. “There is something
inside it,” he said in English to prevent any suspicion from the authority. This
masterpiece is now known as “Mi Ultimo Adios” or “Last Farewell”. After his death,
Trinidad went to Andres Bonifacio the turned over the last message to him. Brilliant as
he was, the Supremo translated the poem in Tagalog so that every Filipino can
understand it. From the original 14 stanza of Rizal, Bonifacio transformed the poem into
his own work of art by adding stanzas and by using words close to the Filipino’s heart.
Moreover, the meaning of sacrifice for the sake of the nation has been highlighted. This
translation is now entitled “Ang Huling Pahimakas ni Dr. Jose Rizal.” The second and
third stanzas of Bonifacio’s 28 translations are given below:

Masayang sa iyo’y aking idudulot

Ang lantako ng buhay na lubhang malungkot;
Maging maringal man at labisa nga lindog
Sa kagalinganmo ay akin ding handog

Sa pakikidigma at pamimiyapis
Ang alay ng iba’y ang buhay nakipkip,
Walang agam-agam, maluwag sa dibdib
Matamis sa puso at di ikahahapis

Lesson Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students can:
1. identify the role of History in the process of nation-building;
2. realize the function of studying the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal to the
process of nation- building ;and
3. offer practical ideas to contribute to the process of nation-building.

Lesson Discussion:
Philippine History is a repository of the nation’s collective memory. It should not be
seen as a mere subject waiting to be memorized by students. It should be taken from
the heart. Like breathing out and breathing in, studying History should be second nature
to all Filipinos. This is the reason why History is translated in Filipino as Kasaysayan. Its
root word is Saysay (essence). The narrative of the past must be seen as vital to their
existence.
Likewise, studying the life, works, and writing of Rizal must be well entrenched in
every Filipino’s soul. Lesson about his life, like his education, lovers, past time, etc. are
all useless if not applied in real life. The same idea can be seen in the logic behind the
annual commemoration of Rizal Day. How many among the youth today imbibe the
essence of Rizal Day? Rizal Day is not just a non- working public holiday to serve as an
opportunity to stroll around malls, swim in beaches, and watch movies on Netflix. It is an
opportunity for everyone to fulfill what Gemino Abad referred to as the crucial infinitives
in life “to read, to think, to write”. Just like what Rizal did in the past, everyone is
enjoined to participate in political and social processes of building the nation, not
necessarily great things right away but in small yet impactful ways. Especially the youth,
they are expected to be “Rizal-like” in terms of deep nationalism.
ASSESSMENT:
In the spaces below, answer the following questions in two to three sentences. (5points
each)
1. How many History contribute to the process of nation-building?
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2. How can the study of life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal contribute to the process
of nation-building?
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3. What are the crucial infinitives in life according to Gemino Abad?
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STUDENT’S JOURNAL: (20points)

Reflect on Rizal’s role as a symbol of nation-building. As a student, how can you

become a herald of nationalism?
SUMMARY:
We discussed in this chapter the conceptual framework of the Rizal Course. It is
divided into four lessons which are expected to inculcate awareness and understanding
into the minds of students about the relevance of studying the life, works, and writings of
Jose Rizal.
Lesson One focused on the Republic Act 1425 (Rizal Law) of June 12, 1956. This
lesson analyzes the Law to stress the significance of Dr. Jose Rizal as a hero and
foremost exemplar of Filipino heroism in fostering a sense of nationalism, especially to
the fair hopes of the nation—the youth. Lesson Two elaborates the concept of a “hero”
that some tend to misconstrue as an award given to dead people. Doing great things is
likewise misinterpreted as something only heroes, like Rizal, can achieve. Through the
mandate of state vested upon the Rizal Law, the youth became empowered to generate
new ideas that can change and improve the society. Lesson Three focuses on Rizal as
a “symbol” which in reality is the kind of Rizal we see in our daily lives. It is expected in
the end that the “Millennial” would generate their own version of a symbolic Rizal.
Lastly, in Lesson Four we discussed “Rizal and nation-building” that aims to point out
the role of Jose Rizal in today’s process of nation-building.

REFERENCES:
Crudo, Eugene Raymond P., Guiwa, Herald Ian C. Pawilen, Reidan M. (2019). The Life,
works, and writings of Jose Rizal.—Quezon City: Rex Book Store.
De Guzman, Domingo., Laksamana, Francisco., De Guzman, Maria O. (1995). Noli Me
Tangere ni Dr. Jose Rizal.—Manila: National Book Store.
De Viana, Augusto V., Cabrera, Helena Ma. F., Samal, Emelita P., De Vera, Myrna M.,
Atutubo, Janet C., (2018). Jose Rizal: social reformer and patriot: a study of his
life and times.—Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store.
Fadul, Jose A. (2016). A Work for course in Rizal.—Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.
Purino, Anacoreta P. (2014). Rizal the greatest Filipino hero.—Quezon City: Rex Book
Store, Inc.
Pasigui, Ronnie Espergal., Cabalu, Danilo Hipolito (2014). Jose Rizal: the man and the
hero: chronicles, legacies, and controversies.—2 nd ed.—Quezon City: C&E
Publishing.
Zaide, Gregorio F., Zaide, Sonia M. (2014). Jose Rizal: Life, works and writings of a
genius, writer, scientist and national hero.—Mandaluyong: Avril Publishing, Inc.
Zaide, Gregorio F., Zaide, Sonia M. (1999). Jose Rizal: Life, works and writings of a
genius, writer, scientist and national hero.—Quezon City: All Nations Publishing,
Inc.