Pluma - Reflection Paper

College of Business and Accountancy

Pluma - Si Rizal, ang dakilang manunulat (Reflection Paper)

After watching the documentary about our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, I felt proud to say I am a Filipino. It inspired to become a better citizen in our own country. Philippines is very rich in culture especially in history, history that should continue to pass on to generation to other generation. The history about Jose Rizal is very inspiring in a way that you would ask yourself, what can I do for my country, can I do the same thing that Rizal did, can I sacrifice my life in order to save my fellow countrymen, what is like to be Rizal? These are some question that I’ve been asking. Rizal is not just a hero but rather a symbol of unity. Without Rizal will there be freedom, I think the answer is no because the moment Rizal died, our fellow Filipino realize the time has come to fight back, we can no longer ignore the abusive authority, this is our country we should be the ones setting rules not them or telling what are the things we can do or not. Pen is mightier than a sword, I do believe in that quotation. Rizal two novels made the Spaniards frighten. The first novel: Noli Me Tangere published in Europe to spread the wrongdoings of the Spanish priest and how they abuse their power. It is written in Spanish because they are the audience and after a few copy sent to the Philippines they banned the novel. I think the reason behind it is they are guilty of their wrongdoings and it might be the start of a revolution against them. The novel is truly an art that full of passion and one day I also want to write a novel that can influence my audience, to share my thoughts and ideas and most of all to inspire them. Writing is not as easy as it seems because ideas doesn’t come as whole it would take time to process it to become a thing that can influence and allure the audience to listen and make a further understanding. It is truly amazing when you write something and publish it will become forever because as the documentary said pen can write ideas, you can kill the writer but not the idea. Blood is thicker than water. People may turn their back to Rizal but not his family. They may not agree in every decision that Rizal make but they always support him. I admire his brother Paciano for pushing Rizal to go to Europe to learn more and enhance his skills. We all have different family and we cannot choose them because it is up to the Lord who or what kind of family you will belong. I am lucky as Rizal is because I’ve been bless with the kind and loving family that always look after me and

support and guide me in everything I experience in life. Some people do not have family because they were abandoned before they can even learn to speak. Rizal will not be the hero we all knew without his family like her mother taught him to read, to respect the elders and other good things. Maybe Rizal also wants to save our country so he can also save his parents and brother and sisters from the abusive Spaniards. Our culture will not be as great as we know if the foreign countries did not colonize us. One of the good things that the Spaniards brought here is the Christian religion, without their teachings we would not known our heavenly Father, the tradition, the bible and other things about religion. Rizal was religious specifically when he was young. I remember in my childhood days when my grandmother and I encounter someone we knew, they will have a little bit of chat and then they would ask me to pray before I start I would ask in English or Tagalog? They would laugh at first then tell me what do they preferred. It is my first time to know the names of the woman who have been romantically related to Rizal, I knew that she had several girlfriends but I did not expect in every country he has visited which amaze me by that fact. If I were Rizal traveling around the world I do not think I would have that kind of relationship, I may admire the good looking people around me but not in the way I would have relationship among them and then ended it if I leave the country. I would never have the confidence to date two people at the same time. I admire Rizal because upon courting or dating the two ladies named “Leonor”, he was never caught and I’m curious about it, why would he court Leonor Valenzuela if Leonor Rivera was his long time girlfriend for eleven or twelve years and got his heart broke when Rivera got married to another man. If I am in a relationship I definitely stay committed to one person I truly love. In the end I learned there is lot to discover about our national hero and a lot of mystery that does not have a conclusion. I admire Rizal for his undying love for our country.