letter to rizal

Dear rizal,


the truth is, i never really knew you before. i'm 20 now and it was just last summer when i became fascinated with your life--the truth, your thoughts, your visions. when we had 'rizal' courses in highschool, all that i ever knew was that you wrote noli and fili and because of that you were shot and that's about it. I never thought that you were into gossip, or that you had raging hormones, or that you're vain, or that you wanted to be married, or that you--were even normal at all. my initial idea of you was that you were perfect. turns out you're as normal as me: with your first crush, with your barkadas, with inside jokes, with codenames and gossip, with being torn between two lovers(with the same name!), with your girlfriendssssss and all. you had your flaws. you're human. you just had the right amount of persistence, brilliant ideas, great visions and the balls to face whatever or whoever has the guts to challenge you. what a man. 


your prophecies are becoming true. the philippines- still sick. democracy - still an unfinished business. the victorinas are breeding wildly, as well as drug users. poverty is evident. the government is filled with filipinos, just not serving the Philippines as they ought to be. skilled/intelligent filipinos want to go abroad. what a mess. 


piso..my. they chose the angle you least wanted. you're a popular t-shirt design. you even have shades in it. your memorial statue has fancy water fountains. it became a popular hangout for lovers, homeless people and pickpockets. there are even funerarias named after you. you have cities and streets named after you. quite flattering actually. the problem is--you were rizal-the national hero and that's it. your advocacies are not properly understood and dissemenated. yes, courses were mandated but the way of teaching wasn't monitored. noli and fili were taught, but the underlying message and motive ain't clear. 


i read your letter for the malolos women. i hope everyone can read it. as harsh as it is, it is what it should be. you're right, we are in dire need of spartan mothers. mothers who teach their sons and daughters how to love the philippines. the right kind of love-not that- i have a pinoy ako statement shirt so i love the philippines type.  the kind of love that makes you dream of something big, something wonderful for our country.


thank you for inspiring me. happy birthday. 150th. wow you're like immortal, dude. 




bas