Remembering a hero: If Rizal were alive today

MANILA, Philippines – If Dr. Jose Rizal were alive today, what would he feel about the current state of the Philippines and what would he do to improve it?

Some believe that Rizal, whose execution in 1896 sparked nationalistic feelings that led to the Philippine revolution, would most likely be disappointed with Filipinos in the present. They pointed out that some of the problems encountered by the national hero in his time are still plaguing the country.

“If Rizal were alive today he would be surprised with how people value nationalism and love of country nowadays. It is as if the sacrifices he and his compatriots made were wasted,” said Melchor Pelleja, a history instructor at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), said.

Erickson Calata, a faculty member of the PUP political science department, said Rizal would not be proud because the social ills that persecuted him remain rampant.

“He will not be proud. I think he knows that the system of domination is a constant problem. The Americans just replaced the Spaniards as oppressors and even after 1946, that system persists through neo-colonialism,” Calata said.

Not everyone are pessimistic though.

Alexander Ruiz of the religious group Sagrada Familia Dios Infinito Tinig said the national hero would be proud of the armed forces, which displayed 40 of its air assets during the Rizal Day commemoration in Manila on Wednesday.

“Our father Dr. Jose Rizal would be happy. We have a force that we can rely on if threatened by enemies,” Ruiz said.

Others think that Rizal, who once said that the youth is the future of the country, would have prioritized education if he were one of the leaders of the country.

"(Rizal would) create a nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented education system. Nationalist to serve for the sovereignty and excellency of the country, scientific so that it will be more comprehensible in the practice of social reality, and mass-oriented so that everyone will receive education- down to the poorest of the poor," Calata said.

Mark Gilbert Rehoy, faculty member of the La Salle Greenhills social science department, said Rizal would have emphasized the use of Filipino language as the medium of instruction for most of the subjects.

"Filipino and Social Studies will be given more focus compared to Science, Math, and English," Rehoy added.

Veronica Moreno, a Sociology student, said the education system in the country would have been much better if it were handled by people like Rizal.

"If Rizal were alive today, we would value education more. The Philippines would've been at par with other countries," she said.

Ronuel Jundana, an electronics engineering student, believes that there would be more public schools in the country if Rizal were a key government official.

Rehoy thinks that Rizal would vote against political dynasties because it is prone to power concentration and abuse. Jundana, for his part, believes Rizal would not tolerate any form of corruption in the government.

With regard to the Philippines’ territorial row with China, some experts believe that Rizal would choose to settle the dispute through peaceful means.

"In the context of Rizal's time and based on his mind-framing, the issue about the South China Sea can be compared to his stand on the issue of Sabah, where he stood for its reoccupation," Calata said.

"He is more intellectual so he doesn't like violence. He believes in the power of dialogue," Rehoy said.

For Michael Charleston “Xiao” Chua, a history professor at De La Salle University, Rizal would have taken a different career path but remains passionate about the country’s plight.

“He (Rizal) would have been a more responsible critic in the social media, one that says something always with basis. He could have been a filmmaker or a rock star, but singing about the social condition,” Chua said.