Every December 30, we remember Dr. Josรฉ Rizal. He was not a hero who just died, Dr. Rizal was a Filipino who was brave enough to think for himself during a time when it was safer to be quiet.
Dr. Josรฉ Rizal did not fight with guns or lead a big group of people. What he did was ask questions and write about what was going on. Rizal challenged the system that was in place because it did not want people to be smart and know what was happening.
Rizal thought that the thing that hurts a nation the most is not knowing things. He wrote novels and essays and letters to show the problems in society and to remind the people that they are important. They killed Rizal to stop him from having an effect on people. It actually showed that Rizal was right: you cannot stop ideas by shooting them. Rizal and his ideas are still remembered today because Rizalโs execution did not stop the people from thinking about what Rizal said.
Rizal Day is not about remembering what happened before. It is about what we do. These days, a lot of people do not know what is true and what is not. They do not care. They stay quiet when they should speak up. Rizal Day reminds us of what Rizal Day is all about. Rizal asks us the thing he asked a long time ago: what do you really believe in and what are you willing to fight for? Rizal Day is a reminder that Rizal is still relevant today.
To remember Rizal is to continue his fightโnot with violence, but with conscience, education, and courage. A nation that remembers how to think will always remain free.
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Words: Neil Jayson Maligat | The Josephinian
Photo: Manuel Francis Corollo | The Josephinian
