Remembering Rizal, 151 Years Later

Blogger's note: I was honored to be invited as the Keynote Speaker and the Guest of Honor of the City Government of Davao's commemoration of the 151st Birth Anniversary of our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal last June 19, 2012 at Rizal Park, Davao City. The following is my speech in its entirety.


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REMEMBERING RIZAL, 151 YEARS LATER

SPEECH OF LOUIE BRYAN M. LAPAT FOR THE 151^ST BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF DR. JOSE P. RIZAL

Rizal Park, San Pedro Street, Davao City

June 19, 2012

COURTESIES—


One hundred fifty one years ago today, the Filipino Nation did not know about the birth of the man who would later become this country’s foremost national hero. The birth of Dr. Jose Rizal was not foretold by a prophet, nor was heralded by a shining star in the night sky but Rizal’s existence would forever be embedded in this nation’s history and in our respective lives as Filipinos. As we gather here this early morning today, we affirm once more Rizal’s greatness as a Filipino and a citizen of the world.

I came here today representing the sector that is perhaps our national hero’s favorite—the youth. Upon receiving the invitation to speak here today for Davao City’s commemoration of the 151st birth anniversary of Rizal, I immediately gave a resounding “yes” because this is an opportunity to let the world know on how our national hero has stroked a chord of inspiration among us.


Like those many that came before us, we are a generation that has been tagged as the “hope of our fatherland.” This was immortalized by Rizal himself when he wrote “A la Juventud Filipina,” when he was still eight yeard old, where he exclaimed: “Alza la terza furte, juventud Filipina en este dia, luce resplendente tu rica gallardia, bella esperanza de la patria mia.” I used to memorize that line of Rizal since I was in Grade 6 when I joined an oratorical contest but I can still remember this as this has become a resounding challenge to me and to my fellow youth to live up to the expectations of our national hero and someday bring this country to the apex of greatness, just like what he envisioned in the prime years of his youth.

For us, Rizal’s life has become a shining example of a true Fiipino patriot who had offered blood, sweat and tears for the country he dearly loved. First and foremost, Rizal is a family man who puts family first. He is also the man who has chosen peaceful means over violence in pursuing independence, citing education as the breath of instilling charming virtue. Rizal believes that education provides an indisputable link towards the realization of our goals, may it be individual or the nation as a whole. Rizal inspired all of us to fight for our rights and stand on our ground. Our nation must be thankful enough to God because He has given us Rizal whose life became an inspiration to all of us. He is definitely one of the foremost reasons why we should be proud that we are Filipinos.

Many generations had passed; the youth of yesterday now turned old. Yet, the aphorism Rizal wrote when he was still eight years old remains true: the youth is still the best hope of this country. It sounds cliché, but the only reason why it sounded like cliché because it is true. But one would probably wonder how far we have gone as a country. Like during Rizal’s time, this country is a melting pot of patriots, of unsung heroes, of people with great compassion and with selfless acts of heroism.

True enough, there’s Rizal in all of us, making his name as an embodiment of being a true Filipino. The life of Rizal, as what he had shown in the prime years of his youth, encourages us to pursue truth, strive and excel for ourselves and for others despite of the many odds and above all, to seek justice and equality without fear.

We, the youth of today, were criticized of being too negligent, laidback and apathetic. The skeptics had raised the myth of our generation’s apathy but those who criticized our generation definitely forgot who raised it. While some of us turned out to be the opposite of what the society expects, there’s still plenty of us who exemplifies the best in the Filipino—something that Rizal can be proud of.

I see it in every working student trying to meet both ends while studying, mindful that this could free him from the bondage of poverty. I see it in my friends back in my hometown who spent their weekends doing volunteer works rather than go strolling in the mall. I see it in the youth who organized cause-oriented groups, like that of Efren Peñaflorida who was declared CNN Hero of the Year a couple of years ago. I see it in our boy and girl scouts whose scout law resembles that of Rizal’s standards. This, among many others, magnifies our image that we aren’t here for a pure show. We are here to live up to what Rizal expects from us.

We are capable of heroic action, Conrado de Quiros wrote. We have shown it, we have done it. Our only problem is sustaining it. We blaze forth in one flash of time only to stumble in darkness afterward. We rise to brilliance in one blink of time only to plunge into interminable mediocrity afterward. Whatever the reasons, and they are legion, we have shown ourselves to be so full of promise but so lacking in fulfillment. We have been called a country with an unfinished revolution, and it is only too true.

My dear friends, the scale of our challenge is great. But make no mistake: we shall make it, given more time. To our forefathers and to those who have criticized us, this I pledge: We the youth of today shall remain committed in our collective desire to free this country from the bigger enemies we are facing today: poverty and corruption. Pardon me if I sound too idealistic, but this is what Rizal had taught me—to be magnanimous in time of adversities. Rizal showed that no man will die for a vision, but a man can always die for a cause.

There are many traits in our national hero that I find very inspiring. Like Rizal, I find joy in writing. For me, it is a tool for a poignant narrative of what the world as it is and the world as it should be. Rizal inspired me that you don’t need to be big or maybe hold an important office in our society to express what you want to say, to challenge the status quo and spark a change. All you need to do is grab a piece of paper and a pen or to put it more succinctly in our own generation’s term, all you need to have is an idea and an internet connection. Rizal taught me to stand on my ground, to never remain silent. His short-lived life taught me to take a stand and write and write immediately while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.

If Rizal were alive today, perhaps he could be a blogger or a newspaper columnist. Perhaps today, he would tweet “Hey, I just turned 151 and it’s awesome!” and would be amused by the throng of well-wishers dropping birthday wishes on his timeline. He could also be one of those who are practicing the parliamentary of the streets calling for solutions to the problem we are facing, or he could blog about treating himself a magnum ice cream for his birthday. Or a cake. A birthday cake adorned with candles.

We, the youth of today—the so-called facebook and twitter generation—looks up to Rizal as a good influence. I asked my facebook friends about what they thought of our national hero. Steven Baldesco from Dublin, Ireland said: “The fact that I live 7,000 miles away from home has made Rizal's words resonate even more. His undying love of country is an everlasting example of how we Filipinos at home and overseas must never forget to look back at our past. To devote ourselves in the service of the Filipino people is the least we can do for all the sacrifices he endured during his life in the name of freedom. Rizal left it to succeeding generations to decide the direction that would be taken by the Philippines. 151 years later, the Global Filipino now holds that opportunity. Let us seize that opportunity and fulfill Rizal's dream for the Philippines once and for all!” He ended it with a smiley icon.

James Bernabe of Koronadal also said: “I was acquainted with the struggles of the Filipino - its hopes, dreams, the prejudiced meanderings of a soul that hungers for freedom. What Rizal wrote, albeit so fragile in paper yet indelible in everyone's hearts, made us Filipinos realize what we were, what we are, and what we will be.” Like Steven, he also ended it with a smiley.

Arnel Ang, a young teacher, thinks global when he said “Rizal, whose roots may not be of pure Malay, taught us to love our country notwithstanding our ancestry and color. In essence he taught us that what’s in our heart is more important than what composes our blood.”

This generation owes a lot to our national hero. We are so lucky indeed to have been blessed with such a brilliant mind as that of Rizal, whose selfless act of heroism and nationalism is second to none. We come here today to celebrate and to remember, mindful of the great challenges we face as a nation. We come here today to remember Rizal not because his life and works are one of the subjects taught in college or maybe because his image is selling like hotcakes in one of the popular t-shirt brands in our country. We come here today for fond remembrance of the man who taught us what it means to be a Filipino.

In conclusion, allow me to share to you my favorite writing penned by no less than Rizal. In his letter to Rev. Vicente Garcia who wrote a defense for Noli Me Tangere, Rizal said: “Someday we shall have to answer for our lives to a God whose religion has declared all men equal. He hates tyranny and has made intelligence free. He will ask us: “What have you done for the unhappy and oppressed? Have you done the utmost that your education and intelligence permit? Have you tried to right injustice, to enlighten ignorance, to lift oppression and to relieve suffering about you?” Our Savior suffered bitter death to save mankind. He has a right to ask what we are doing for our brethren.”

As we go to our respective tasks after this commemoration program, let’s ask ourselves the same: What have we done for our fellowmen in need? What have we contributed to the development of our country? Have we used our education, our intelligence or our position to create ripples of change? Have we tried to right injustice?

151 years had passed since the birth of Rizal and the challenges he faced then and the problems we are facing today are very much connected and very much alike. To meet it, it is fitting and proper that we heed Rizal’s example: that there is no chasm too deep and no barrier too great for all those who work hard, never back down, who always move forward and above all, those who have faith in God, in our country and in our people.

I urge on my fellow youth and all of us to live by Rizal’s example that our children and our children’s children can emulate. Maybe when our time here on earth is over, they can gather here someday, on this very same spot, and when they look in Rizal monument, they will feel the very same feeling that I felt today—something that would make them say: Thank God I am a Filipino!

God bless you and may God bless the Philippines Rizal dearly loved!

Good morning and Mabuhay!

END OF SPEECH