Veneration Without Understsnding

HEROISM 101

(Reaction on Renato Constantino's "Veneration without Understanding")

By: Anthony Ceasar F. Zambale

He is a unique example of many-splendored genius who became the greatest hero of a nation. Endowed by God with versatile gifts, he truly ranked with the worlds geniuses...above and beyond all these; he was a hero and political martyr who consecrated hi life for the redemption of his oppressed people."(Gregorio Zaide, Jose Rizal, 2nd edition,p1). Born in Calamba, Laguna and he is the one who fought for liberty not in revolutionary way. He was coined with the saying that; "The pen is mightier than the sword"- sounds familiar? It's because this is usually the usual descriptions we perceive whenever we speak of Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda. In fact his name has been highlighted among the other heroes that he already occupied a permanent and honourable place in every aspect that has something to do with Philippine independence.

In Renato Constantino's "Veneration without Understanding", he thoroughly discussed the real story of how Rizal became our national hero. He also made mention of the traits that Rizal has that contributed to his recognition of becoming the national hero. Constantino also discuss some arguments' such as "Rizal being an American-sponsored hero, his disapproval of the revolution, the concept of Filipino nationhood, the transformation of the term "Filipino", and Rizal's limitations parse. We had given Rizal a high regards for minor contribution he did for us to gain our independence. However, there are lot things we don't know about him. I agree with the author when he mention of how we are blinded by our high regard of how great Rizal was, of how martyr he was, of how he died for our country. The truth is, there is nothing wrong about looking-up to Rizal. Maybe, some writers and other people thought that doing such is a way of giving respect and gratitude to his contributions and sacrifices for the Filipino people and of our nation. Sadly to say, in making Rizal as an image for heroism, he was placed in a platform that was too difficult for Juan dela Cruz to reach. My point is, we should not give too much admiration for Rizal up to the point that we look at him like an incomparable being. We must not also forget our other heroes that like Rizal, they too have fought bravely for our country's independence against the tyrant colonizers. We must as well give them the same honours we gave to Rizal.

As what Constantino say, "The Philippine revolution has always been overshadowed by the omnipresent figure and the towering reputation of Rizal, because Rizal took no part in the Revolution and in fact repudiated it." In connection with the manifesto written by Rizal, date 15 December 1896 which he addressed to the Filipino people, he said that "when the plan of revolution came to his knowledge, he opposed it, fought it, and demonstrate its absolute impossibility and states his greatest willingness to offer anything he could do to supress the rebellion."(Gregorio Zaide, Jose Rizal, 2nd edition,p257-258). I can say that Rizal repudiated the revolution because he thought that reforms to be successful. It could be understood that the he thought of such because it was the belief of the illustrados during that time, to which Rizal belonged. It is also possible for to Rizal disproved the revolution due to his belief that violence should not prevail. In this case, Rizal accidentally underestimated the capacity of those Filipinos below his class to make changes and reforms. This hesitation of Rizal against the revolution was supported by Dr. Pio Valenzuela's 1896 account of the revolution after he was sent by Andres