Bittersweet endings

Endings are always met with a bittersweet feeling. It is bitter for the whole semester, however long it was, has come to its inevitable close and sweet since much of who and what Rizal embodied became ever so clearer to me. Rizal is much more to his authoring the Noli and Fili. His childhood could not be captured by his mother’s story of the moth and the light nor can it be described in the story his throwing his slipper into the lake when other was already lost. Rizal should not be labeled as a pacifist and more so, an American-sponsored hero, as Renato Constantino called him. He is beyond and much more than what is usually perceived of him. His life journey to educate himself and, along the way, to prove himself among the greatest thinkers of the 19^th century Europe is much more than a conceited plan of travelling and frolicking on foreign soil. His journey was for a greater purpose. It was a burden no ordinary man can handle. His mission encompassed his whole being and was geared towards the ambitious dream of a Philippines for the Filipinos, a country where liberty and dignity reside. His genius, as it always has been, is geared towards the liberation of his countrymen. Rizal’s willing sacrifice in the hands of the Spanish authorities was the ultimate testament of his nationalism and undying love for his motherland. His sacrifices and hardships played part in his grand scheme to make a true pasyon of his short life. Until his last breath, Rizal held on to his cherished beliefs,  a belief he carried for the rest of his life, a belief so strong that the Spanish colonizers had no other option but to execute him. The Filipinos, like any other peoples in the world, deserve liberty, rights, and dignity.

As the Philippine Institution 100 class comes to a close, I cannot help but feel cheated. Professor Fernandez was right that this course should be offered in two semesters for a semester could not sufficiently imbibe in a student all of Rizal’s ideals and aspirations for the country. I consider myself to be very fortunate to have this opportunity to get to know the ideologies behind the man. As I step out of the comforts of the university, I know that I carry with me a great duty. Like the ever illustrious Rizal, I am tasked to make a difference in society and join the march of the Filipino people towards their historic goal of enlightenment and freedom. Thank you, Professor Albina Peczon Fernandez. Now, I know who I was, who I am, and who I ought to be. (03/22/2011)