My Favorite Filipino Hero Is “Jose Rizal”

José Rizal was born on June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Philippines. While living in Europe, Rizal wrote about the discrimination that accompanied Spain's colonial rule of his country. He returned to the Philippines in 1892, but was exiled due to his desire for reform. Although he supported peaceful change, Rizal was convicted of sedition and executed on December 30, 1896, at age 35.

Early Life

On June 19, 1861, José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was born in Calamba in the Philippines' Laguna Province. A brilliant student who became proficient in multiple languages, José Rizal studied medicine in Manila. In 1882, he traveled to Spain to complete his medical degree.

Writing and Reform

While in Europe, José Rizal became part of the Propaganda Movement, connecting with other Filipinos who wanted reform. He also wrote his first novel, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not/The Social Cancer), a work that detailed the dark aspects of Spain's colonial rule in the Philippines, with particular focus on the role of Catholic friars. The book was banned in the Philippines, though copies were smuggled in. Because of this novel, Rizal's return to the Philippines in 1887 was cut short when he was targeted by police.

Rizal returned to Europe and continued to write, releasing his follow-up novel,El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed) in 1891. He also published articles inLa Solidaridad, a paper aligned with the Propaganda Movement. The reforms Rizal advocated for did not include independence—he called for equal treatment of Filipinos, limiting the power of Spanish friars and representation for the Philippines in the Spanish Cortes (Spain's parliament).

Exile in the Philippines

Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892, feeling he needed to be in the country to effect change. Although the reform society he founded, the Liga Filipino (Philippine League), supported non-violent action, Rizal was still exiled to Dapitan, on the island of Mindanao. During the four years Rizal was in exile, he practiced medicine and took on students.

Execution and Legacy

In 1895, Rizal asked for permission to travel to Cuba as an army doctor. His request was approved, but in August 1896, Katipunan, a nationalist Filipino society founded by Andres Bonifacio, revolted. Though he had no ties to the group, and disapproved of its violent methods, Rizal was arrested shortly thereafter.

After a show trial, Rizal was convicted of sedition and sentenced to death by firing squad. Rizal's public execution was carried out in Manila on December 30, 1896, when he was 35 years old. His execution created more opposition to Spanish rule.

Spain's control of the Philippines ended in 1898, though the country did not gain lasting independence until after World War II. Rizal remains a nationalist icon in the Philippines for helping the country take its first steps toward independence.

Why I choice Jose Rizal as my favorite Filipino Hero?

I choice him because he really love Philippines and Filipino. That why I choice him as my favorite Filipino hero.   Rizal was the greatest Filipino hero that ever lived because he was the most intelligent, most courageous, and most dangerous enemy of the reactionaries and the tyrants; and the main reason why Rizal is our greatest Filipino hero is that he is “a man that honored after death by public worship because of the exceptional service to mankind”. 

Rizal’s leadership was recognized by his countrymen here and abroad, he because as honorary president of the “La Solidaridad”, he organized and became chief of the Indios Bravos, he was chosen as responsible (chief) of the Spanish Filipino Association and Rizal was the founder and moving spirit in the of the Liga Filipina in Manila on July 3, 1892.

 His memory will never perish in his fatherland, and future generations of Spaniards will yet learn to utter his name with respect and reverence. And throughout the Islands the public schools teach the young Filipinos to revere his memory as the greatest of Filipino patriots “Rizal Avenue” one of the longest and most important streets in Manila has been named.  

Now and then some Filipinos who said that Andres Bonifacio deserves to be acknowledged and canonized as our first National hero, and yet Dr. Jose Rizal. Its because that Rizal never held a gun, a rifle or a sword in fighting for the liberty in the battlefield they further assert is that in other countries are soldier-generals, like George Washington of USA as their National hero but people in excising their good sense, independent judgment etc., have not followed the examples of other nations in selecting and acknowledging a military leader being a greatest hero. 

 Who made Rizal the foremost hero of the Philippines? No amount of adulation and canonization by both Filipinos and foreigners could convert Rizal into a great hero if he did not possess in himself that was ‘Palma calls “excellent qualities and merits”. No single person or groups of persons were responsible for making the Civeatest Hero, Rizal himself, his own people and the foreigners all together contributed to make him the greatest hero and martyr of his countrymen.

My Favorite OPM song is “ALAPAAP” 

Composed by Ely Buendia

Ely Buendia (also known as Jesus “Dizzy” Ventura) has been a part of the alternative group Eraserheads as its vocalist. With the group, he spearheaded such music hits like Magasin, With A Smile, Fruitcake, Overdrive, Toyang, Ang Huling El Bimbo. Buendia is now a part of a new rock group called The Mongols (with the group’s hit single, Bulakbol).

Reaction:

I love song because make me chill and relax. I thank Mr. Ely Buendia for creating this master peace. Know I that he already composed a lot of song and sang it. He is a great artist. And I hope he can composed more beautiful songs.

And have a happy life.   

Folk tales From Philippine Region

The Story of the Piña

Pinang was a beautiful but lazy girl. One day, her mother got sick and asked her to cook food for them. Having never really done anything around the house, Pinang refused at first. She finally relented through her mother’s insistent shouting, but had trouble finding the ladle. Frustrated, Pinang’s mother wished a hundred eyes to grow on her for being so lazy. After this, Pinang was never seen again. A strange yellow fruit with a hundred eyes, however, was soon found growing in their backyard.

Like all folk tales, the story of the piña has several versions. According to Ong, the popular version is didactic or moralistic – “that’s what you get for being lazy and unmotivated.” Tahanan’s version has Pinang doing her best, but her mother just assumed that she was being lazy again.

For Ong, the story of the piña is “a cautionary tale for both parent and child.”

The Monkey and the Turtle

A monkey and a turtle were once friends. One day, they saw a banana-plant floating on the water. They decided to split it and planted each half. Monkey thought the top part was better, so he planted it and watched in dismay as it died. Turtle planted the roots and was rewarded with a fine tree with fruits. But since he could not climb to get the bananas himself, he asked Monkey to get it for him.The cunning simian, however, ate all of the fruits! In retaliation, Turtle put sticks around the tree and then tricked Monkey to go down, killing him. Monkey’s friends then tried to exact revenge on Turtle, who deceived them into throwing him into the lake, his home.

According to Ong, this folk tale “could be the most famous Philippine folk tale because Jose Rizal published an illustrated retelling in Trubners Oriental Record.” She says that part of the appeal of the story is that “it's a battle between the strong and selfish, and the physically weak but crafty. Children might identify with and root for the turtle.”

Legend From Philippine Region

The White Lady.

The White Lady is undoubtedly one of the country’s most famous ghosts, with every locality having their own version of this ghastly apparition of a woman with long, black hair and wearing an all-white dress.

The White Lady is usually a woman with a sad past, having been murdered or dying in an accident. As we’ve said, although there are many stories about White Ladies, the most famous concerns the one who is said to reside in Quezon City’s Balete Drive.

The Headless Priest.

Chances are you may have experienced being scared by old folks as a child about a headless priest coming out of your wound. As absurd as that may have sounded when you grew older, it just proves that stories of headless priests are alive and well, especially when November is drawing near.

As their name suggests, these clergymen roam universities, graveyards, churches, or any other conveniently eerie places. Sometimes they carry their heads with them; other times they do not, and are ostensibly searching for them.

As to why they lost their heads, these priests were said to have been decapitated either by Filipino revolutionaries during the Revolution or by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Urban legends about priests have also been most likely reinforced with earlier stories of biblical figures and martyrs who had been beheaded, like St. John the Baptist for example.

  Myth From Philippine 
Region.

  The Origin of the Stars
Hundreds of years ago, some people say there were no stars.  The sun was a mighty god, ruler of the day.  Buan, the moon, was a rival god of the sun and desired to rule both day and night.  Lihangin, god of the wind, was a friend of both the sun and the moon. 
One day he went to visit Araw, god of the sun, to warm himself.  When they were sitting together, Araw told Lihangin that he had bad feelings toward Buan.  He said that he noticed him showing during the day.  This meant that Baun desired to occupy a part of Araw's kingdom.  Lihangin wanted them to be good friends.  He told Buan not to occupy any part of Araw's kingdom.  He said that Araw was fair and just, so Buan must be, too.  The moon did not pay attention to his advice.  He continued to shine during the latter part of the day and sometimes during the morning.  Araw could not bear it.  He told Buan not to do it any more.   Buan insisted.  They had a quarrel.  Buan was badly hit.  Parts of his body were scattered around, and these became the stars, leaving the moon without its former light.  Such was the origin of the stars.

  Eclipses
Up in the sky lives a huge lion named Arimaonga.  This animal sometimes gets playful, and it swallows the moon, thus producing an eclipse of the moon.   Arimaonga is forced by the people to disgorge the moon by the noise they make during an eclipse of the moon, so people beat gongs and pluck their fingernails.
The eclipse of the sun happens when one of the wheels of the chariot which carries it gets destroyed, thus forcing it to deviate from its regular path.

    Family  Traditions

When there is a guest in the house we sure that the guest is comfortable and happy. And give them the best food in the house .

Go to church when christmas pray and give thanks to god. And have some mid-night salo-salo with family.

        Things to do and see in my 
home town.

  

Swimming is one of best things to do in my hometown. Because the beach here is very beautiful and clean. That’s when I come home I always go to our beach and swim. 

Mountain biking is the sport that I really love and my pastime. When there is fiesta in mountain parts in my hometown always go their riding my mountain bike. And have some adventure and observe the nature. 

I also love Mountain Hiking because I love nature. That’s if my grandfather goes to mountain and harvest out coconut for copra I always go with him because I really enjoy the nature.