How Gemini Is Rizal?

While surfing the net, I suddenly found on a site the most excellent meaning of Gemini. I happened to conclude that Rizal is really a true Gemini.















Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. Changing horses in the middle of the stream is another small quirk in the Gemini personality which makes decision making, and sticking to a decision, eventually hard for them. Just like Rizal, when he was writing his novels particularly in El Filibusterismo, he had a hard time finishing it because of his dilemmas between the characters of Simoun and Ibarra. Expressing and putting himself in the characters made it more complicated and thrilling as well.

When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. No wonder why Jose Rizal had been into many relationships. The girls who fell in love with him, various women and different races proved that his charm was really great.

Jose Rizal has a keen, intuitive, brilliant intelligence and love cerebral challenges. But his concentration, though intense for a while, does not last. His mental agility and energy gives him a voracious appetite for knowledge from youth onward.

If I were to give an example of or definite meaning of the zodiac sign "Gemini", I guess Rizal himself would probably be the best description I can give.

Rizal = Gemini

Rizal's Retraction

Some says it is true that Rizal did his retraction but some says it is just hoax.

From my research, the analysis of JRU (Jose Rizal University) posted that there are at least four texts of Rizal’s retraction have surfaced. The fourth text appeared in El Imparcial on the day after Rizal’s execution; it is the short formula of the retraction.

The first text was published in La Voz Española and Diaro de Manila on the very day of Rizal’s execution, Dec. 30, 1896. The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, on February 14, 1897, in the fortnightly magazine in La Juventud; it came from an anonymous writer who revealed himself fourteen years later as Fr. Balaguer. The "original" text was discovered in the archdiocesan archives on May 18, 1935, after it disappeared for thirty-nine years from the afternoon of the day when Rizal was shot.

We know not that reproductions of the lost original had been made by a copyist who could imitate Rizal’s handwriting. This fact is revealed by Fr. Balaguer himself who, in his letter to his former superior Fr. Pio Pi in 1910, said that he had received "an exact copy of the retraction written and signed by Rizal. The handwriting of this copy I don’t know nor do I remember whose it is. . ." He proceeded: "I even suspect that it might have been written by Rizal himself. I am sending it to you that you may . . . verify whether it might be of Rizal himself . . . ." Fr. Pi was not able to verify it in his sworn statement.

They also said that Rizal's signing of the papers of retraction had eyewitnesses and that they included two significant points: (1) Rizal's rejection of Masonry, and (2) the repudiation of "anything in my words, writings, publications and conduct that have been contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic Church.

In order to marry Josephine, Rizal wrote with the help of a priest a form of retraction to be approved by the Bishop of Cebu. This incident was revealed by Fr. Antonio Obach to his friend Prof. Austin Craig who wrote down in 1912 what the priest had told him; "The document (the retraction), inclosed with the priest’s letter, was ready for the mail when Rizal came hurrying I to reclaim it." Rizal realized (perhaps, rather late) that he had written and given to a priest what the friars had been trying by all means to get from him.

It is surely whether Rizal died as a Catholic or an apostate adds or detracts nothing from his greatness as a Filipino. It is because of what he did and what he was that we revere Rizal. Catholic or Mason, it does not matter. Rizal is still Rizal: the hero who courted death 'to prove to those who deny our patriotism that we know how to die for our duty and our beliefs'.

Prominence Of Rizal

Before Jose Rizal prepared his first trip outside the Philippines on May 3, 1882 on his way to Spain to continue his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid, the name "Rizal" (originally Ricial or green fields) was adopted by Jose to enable him to travel freely because the name Mercado became known to the Spanish authorities because of the political and intellectual prominence of Jose in the Philippines.

If today’s speaking, is Rizal still prominent? Do we still keep the significance of our national hero? Definitely the Rizalistas do, but how about the others?
I felt glad when I saw from Philippine Daily Inquirer that Filipinos would soon be honoring the country’s greatest hero on his birthday rather than on his death anniversary.
The House of Representatives has passed on third and final reading House Bill No. 5408 which seeks to move the observance of Rizal Day to June 19, the birthday of Dr. Jose Rizal, from Dec. 30, the date of his execution. The measure will amend Administrative Code of 1987, specifically Section 26, Chapter 7, Book I of Executive Order No. 292.
“Dr. Jose Rizal devoted practically all of his 35 years of existence on earth in putting premium on education and knowledge; and not on violence as a means of change,” said Manila Rep. Jaime Lopez who sponsored the measure.
Lopez said June 19 is the appropriate date to observe Rizal Day because it was Rizal’s writings that awakened Filipinos to unite together to attain the much-needed independence against foreign denomination and that his death alone did not trigger the 1896 revolution.
“It was his life-long accomplishments done during his lifetime that inspired and pushed us Filipinos to fight and work for our greatness as a race,” Lopez said.
Laguna Rep. Justin Marc Chipeco, a co-sponsor, said June 19 should be declared a “National Hero Day” nationwide.
National Historical Institute (NHI) chair Ambeth Ocampo has fully supported the transfer of Rizal Day as it would give Rizal the prominence he deserved rather than as an afterthought being squeezed between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
It is great to see that there are people who still value the prominence of Rizal. I do encourage everybody especially the youth to show our respect not only by means of studying but also imparting into our hearts the things Rizal had done for us and shared to us.

Indolence of the Filipino

Indolence or laziness

The essay itself originally appeared in the Filipino forthrightly review, La Solidaridad of Madrid, in five installments, running from July 15 to September 15, 1890. It was a continuation of Rizal’s campaign of education in which he sought by blunt truths to awaken his countrymen to their own faults at the same time that he was arousing the Spaniards to the defects in Spain’s colonial system that caused and continued such shortcomings.

Today there seems a place in Manila for just suets, missionary work as The Indolence of the Filipino aimed at. It may help on the present improving understanding between Continental Americans and their countrymen of these “Far Off Eden Isles”, for the writer submits as his mature opinion, based on ten years’ acquaintance among Filipinos through studies which enlisted their interest, that the political problem would have been greatly simplified had it been understood in Dewey’s day that among intelligent Americans the much-talked-of lack of “capacity referred to the mass of the people’s want of political experience and not to any alleged racial inferiority. To wounded pride has the discontent been due rather than to withholding of political privileges.

Poor economic policies and political instability meant growth stagnated and real incomes actually fell. Sad to say that truth hurts, we are still experiencing extreme and humiliating poverty. In Rizal’s assessment, he portrayed that the Filipinos are not really indolent thus he noted that the Spaniards in the Philippines, while accusing the natives of being lazy, were themselves the laziest, waking up late in the day while their servants were up early, having natives carry them in hammocks across rivers instead of walking, in short, having an indolent, leisurely life, while the natives, whom they despised, did all the work. His diagnosis pointed to the inescapable solution: to be free from poverty, the Filipinos must be free from foreign rule.

Based on the report of ERCOF (Economic Resource Center of Overseas Filipinos), the annual remittances of the OFW have been doubled from 2001 to present. Our new heroes reflect their importance to our economic growth. Because of being industrious and trustworthy despite of separation from their families, they are able to help a lot to our economic condition.

Maybe Rizal was correct. The Filipino can be self-sufficient, prosperous, and happy, as they were before the coming of the colonial masters. In refusing to lay the blame for our poverty on the failures of foreign dictated policies, where they belong, members of the Filipino ruling class are placing the blame on the “Indolence of the Filipinos.”

Poem

A Message for the Youth


We speak in different voices
We address the same languages

Our elders taught us values
But sometimes we don’t value

When conversing with fellow countrymen
We rather use colloquial words often

I am voicing out to everybody
We must be proud and happy

Because we have our own language
Immortalize it, for we are responsible
In every steps of our nation

Bow :)

~Ned

Rizal vs Ninoy

We do not choose our heroes during the hard times. They are heroes in the making during their days because of their predisposition, their passion and principles. Their intellectual prowess combined with their powerful exposition for reforms in the government prompted them to rise above their personal lives and seek what is just for the nation.

Both came from well-to-do families but they did not settle for material wealth and just live a normal, peaceful life. Instead, what they see as inequities in government prompted them to seek non-violence as a means of carrying out reforms. Rizal merely asked for just representation in Spain where the Philippines ought to be a province of Spain, and thus enjoy the benefits, rights and governance accorded to provinces just like in Europe’s Spain. Aquino, on the other hand, urged Marcos to put an end to martial law and bring back democracy to the country.

When Rizal was able to secure his family in Hong Kong, he can find no peace. He thinks of the settlers in his hometown of Calamba who are oppressed and driven away. Again and again, he talks of those who are persecuted because they read his books, are acquainted with him, or correspond with him. He feels responsible for their sufferings, he feels guilty for living safely in a foreign country. And despite all warnings, Rizal decides to return home. Almost the same as Ninoy Aquino did when he decided to go back to the Philippines, fully aware of the dangers that awaited him. Threatened that he will either be imprisoned or killed, but he just answered, "if it is my fate to die by an assassin’s bullet, so be it". Aquino left the US and was shot on August 21, 1983 while being escorted off the plane.

I think that these two heroes did the same thing. It does not matter if they were undergone in different eras, as long as their goals and advocacy was for freedom of their countrymen. Both Rizal and Aquino knew that to dismantle the tyranny of their times, they need to rally the Filipinos’ support and continue until the end. Rizal opened the eyes of the Filipinos during his time through his writings. Aquino, after his recovery in the US, continued to hurl fiery speeches against the Marcos dictatorship.

The analogy between Rizal and Ninoy is that they both died with the same goal to free us from dictators. It led to unity of most Filipinos to fight for democracy against the Spanish government and Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship.

I can say we too can be a hero in our own little way, everyday of our life.

The Fort Santiago

I remembered when I was in grade school, every time our school announces that there will be an educational field trip, I do feel great excitement maybe because I am going to see again different unfamiliar places together with my mother, teachers and fellow classmates. We went first to Calamba, Laguna where the family of Rizal dwelled during Spanish era. The only thing I kept in mind was their house in that time is being renovated and most of the things inside were covered of newspapers.

Moving on, of course we went also to Fort Santiago. Before, because I was just a kid, I was not aware of significance of the places we have been. All I know is that they are just good spot to stay and play. Back when I was in high school, I was able to visit the Fort Santiago again because of the project. I was able to see again the memorable structures and find out interesting things like the embedded footsteps of Dr. Jose Rizal. I was really amazed not only because the structures are very old fashioned but also wondered how did they come up with the idea of making it like you can imagine or visualize the things happened on that place.

In historic event, Fort Santiago (in Spanish: Fuerza de Santiago) is a defense fortress built for Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi. The fort is part of the structures of the walled city of Intramuros, in Manila, Philippines. The location of Fort Santiago was once the site of the palace and kingdom of Rajah Suleiman, a Muslim chieftain of pre-Hispanic Manila. It was destroyed by the conquistadors (Martin de Goiti) upon arriving in 1570, encountering several battles with the Islamic natives. The Spaniards destroyed the native settlements and erected the Fuerza de Santiago in 1571.















The fort is shielded by 22 feet (6.7 m)-high walls, with a thickness of 8 feet (2.4 m) and an entrance measuring 40 feet (12 m) high. It is located at the mouth of the Pasig River and it was once the premier defense fortress of the Spanish Government in the Philippines. During World War II it was captured by the Japanese, and sustained heavy damage from American and Filipino mortar shells during the Battle of Manila in February 1945. It was later restored by the Intramuros Administration during the 1980s. Today the fort serves as a museum which houses well-preserved legacies of the Spanish government, José Rizal (which is called the Plaza de Armas), Rizal Shrine, and the prison dungeons for criminals used by the Spanish officials.















José Rizal was imprisoned in the fort before his execution in 1896. The site features, embedded onto the ground in bronze, his final footsteps representing the walk from his cell to the location of the actual execution.