We are lucky to interview one of the world‟s famous figure, Mr. Historian. He has travelled around the world to study different histories. He has a doctorate degree in the field of history. He also has a background in criminology. In fact, he has solved many mysteries in different parts of the globe using history as a tool to understand things on a better prospective. He decoded the evidences in a way that it will be somehow similar to past events. Because of these things, we have talked about history, its relevance and sources. Our interview happened as follows.

Mr. HISTORY

Interviewer: Mr.

Historian, are all

past events part

of history?

Mr. Historian: That is a common misconception about history. People thought that history contains everything. The truth behind it is that not all past events are part of history. Some criteria that can be used to determine if an event is historic or not is by determining its significance and determining who collected the data. An event is considered historic if it is significant to the society and also, if it is collected, processed and interpreted by a historian. Interviewer: Is history a science or an art?

Mr. Historian: Many people are having a hard time of separating history as an art or as a science. The fact is that it can be an art, a science or can be both. What I can say is that history is multidisciplinary. It is a product of the interaction between these subjects. Interviewer: When is history reliable?

Mr. Historian: History is reliable when it is free from biases. It is good to interpret history objectively. Being objective means that you are detaching yourself from these things and are doing the interpretations based on evidences.

Interviewer: Are sources of history important?

Mr. Historian: Yes indeed! Sources of history can be called as evidences that

support the stand that you want to prove. Sources can be either primary or

secondary. Primary sources are those sources which are obtained from an

eye-witness or someone who has experienced it. Secondary sources are

interpretations or elaborations that came from the primary sources. Before

that, sources should be verified to be authentic and credible in order to

ensure that the facts that you will obtain are true and useful.

Interviewer: Do historians have biases?

Mr. Historian: Historians are people just like everyone else of course they have

their own biases. This cannot be removed since they have to interpret the

events that have happened to make history and not just a compilation. This

does not mean that the writings they make are not reliable since historians

maybe bias but they look into both sides to be fair.

Interviewer: Thank you Mr. Historian for this enlightening interview and we

hope to get a chance to talk to you again.

Mr. Historian: I would like to thank you as well for giving me the chance to

share my knowledge. Just remember history is always there to help us but we

must first be able to

understand it before it

can guide us. Just like

anything worth in this

world we must be

prepared to spend time

and effort on it.

What Really Happened… “It was indeed extravagant, their suits of armor, their rifle and their colourful dresses. They speak in a foreign language very unfamiliar to me. Even their white skins tell they must have come from a far nation compared to my sun black. The ships are as mighty and huge to the vast oceans‟ waves. Canons roar with might that tremble to my ears.” This was all how it was described by a native Filipino living near the bay during his younger years. His life was turned upside down with the coming of the Spaniards. Yes, it was a 360 degrees turn, an event that would last for 300 years.

In a given Interview with the native Fili-pino 40 years after:

• Can you describe what life is together with Spain as the “motherland”?

“They were like snakes covered in shiny and slither-ing scales. Once you were attracted, it would bit and venom your mind.”

• How come?

“Well, Spanish colonialism neither protected nor served the people. They util-ize their power for self gain.

First of all, christianity became their sword and strings for the Filipinos. At prior they showed a beautiful God.

Very happy with all those fiestas for the birhen and santos. But eventu-ally the friars created an image of God according to their needs for benefits. They overwhelmed the Filipinos of the idea of a merciless God, which smites all those who don‟t follow and the idea of hell is the consequence for those who oppose. I have only converted from moro to become a Christian be-

cause they say to believe in God is to be saved else burn in eternal punish-ment in hell.”

• Are you affected at all?

“My „panganay‟ is a lay minis-ter. I already told my wife not to bring him during her prayers at the church. I haven‟t only lost my wife but my son as well. They would spent days praying without any-one helping me in the farm. That‟s why I can say that they then con-trolled women to become weak, passive and helpless. Women fol-lowed what friars taught them to pray and pray, that only God can help them through miracles.”

• What do you think of the friars?

“The friars became slaves of money and would only work if there is an amount being paid. One of my compadres lost his son and our community friar would not even budge from his bed when asked for his services. Luckily the ninong of the dead gave a large sum for the death expenses, most of it covered the friar services.”

“I‟m afraid to lose my land any-time soon. My other neighbours lost their lands from people claiming that their land was from the church. They were shot at the spot when they forced their rights for it, saying they have lived there ever since. They say that the lands are to be made into a plantation of exportable cash-crop goods for trade. Only the other day they gave me a notice for the land in exchange of be-ing a caretaker. Well, I guess I don‟t have any other choice then.”

• Do you believe in the government?

“That‟s another pain in the neck issue. The government had its share, it subjugated the Filipinos on taxes and created disunity by using the “Divide-Et-Impera” strategy. I can‟t believe why other Filipinos choose to become a dog of the government in exchange of money. They prosper from other‟s suffer-ing. The government implemented ex-ploitative policies like the polo y servicio, encomienda, bandala, donativo and sed-ula. This is too much burden for too little money that we can earn. Their exploita-tive policies prevented the people to prosper. Fear is their main weapon so that no one would stand against them. What can we else do?

That‟s one of my reason to seek out learning in other lands. I felt that I don‟t learn what I suppose to have. They also outcast my ideas for being a Filipino in exchange for a stupid joke from a Spanish student. If you try to be a it will most of the time make you a heretic and subversive which will lead to capture on the grounds of being a rebel.”

Have you heard of Rizal?

“Of course, he was one of my col-leagues in Madrid. He is very intelligent but it may someday catch up to him. He always attacks the government in the Philippines especially the friars. I once told him to take it slow because he still has a family living in the coun-try.”

• Do you have any learning of his works?

They have guns and what we have is bolo, just see the difference.”

After hearing out one of the perspec-tive of a local Filipino, let us look at another‟s view in the eyes of a Filipino scholar.

What can you say about the cur-rent education system?

“It is very limited. I have seen the world better by studying in Europe. Liberal ideas are free and de-mocracy can be seen from everyday people like demonstrating at the front of my school. I believe that one of the main tactics of Spain was to make Fili-pinos uneducated as possible. In this way Filipinos will be limited to what they are told and would accept things as they were.”

“Women to be exact can‟t participate in studies and learn, they are ex-pected to be under the teachings of church like prayers and rosaries and help her husband. Money and influ-ence is needed for education, it is likely that you will not achieve educa-tion at all if you don‟t acquire, if the case is the other, Spanish teachers (mostly friars) favour the same race and not the indios.

“At first not all, but he also enlight-ened me more of the ways of the gov-ernment and the church. I believe that he helped a lot of people realize for themselves‟ the country‟s situation. I would eventually join the katipunan as one of the tactician. I would gladly share my knowledge to my fellow countrymen and die for it. As for Rizal I hope he would join us because a lot believes in him.”

After having all those interview. We can all learn that there is one painful good result of the Spanish co-lonialism, it is nationalism. It sparked and awakened at the GOMBURZA execution. Those who witnessed the execution, mostly Filipinos, believed that these priests were innocent of the crime and were wrongfully ac-cused. It made Filipinos realize the situation they are in, that whoever it may be, even if you are a priest you can be charged and executed. Rebel groups started to be formed having this as one of their foundations, be-lieving they were martyrs. People then came together from different groups like the Magdalo and Magdi-wang where their main purpose was not to serve any personal interest but for the totality of the freedom of our country. The Philippines under went total change.

“I do, I read his essays and got some important ideas. He tackled a lot of issue. It divulges truth about our society. An example would be he compared our Filipina women to the women of Sparta which is strong and source of power of men. Rizal asked our women to change and seek out independ-ence from authority. He pointed out that the tradition of being helpless was being passed on from the mother to the children where it was better not to become a mother if this was the case be-cause if the offspring is a male most likely it will become a lay min-ister or servant of the church while if it is a female it will be another helpless case.”

“Rizal also advised the Filipi-nos to be productive, active and resolute. Through being proactive we will therefore benefit much from our labor than being lazy, de-pending on gambling or the worst, waiting for a miracle to happen. He stressed out the point of trying to decide for oneself of what is good or bad, having been given the free will and conscience each should justify his own actions.”

• Do you have the same perspec-tive with Rizal?

Rizal‟s Journey

The Beginning

Jose Rizal was the son of Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonzo y Quintos. He was born on June 19, 1861 and was their seventh child and named him Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda. The Mercado family was very wealthy for they were farmers who rented land from the Dominicans and used this to their advantage of making good money. Rizal was a very intellectual child, his mother taught him to read and write at the age of three. When he reached the age of five he started to learn how to write and he also showed inclinations of being an artist through the many sketches and clay molds he had made. His family was very impressed with how Rizal had become more creative in just a very short period of time. And at the age of eight he had already written his first poem about love in which he entitled “Sa Aking Mga Kabata”.

Education

He was then sent to Manila to enroll at the Ateneo de Manila where he graduated at the age of sixteen in which he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree and also with the highest honors. Rizal did not stop studying after graduating from the Ateneo de Manila; he then enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Literature wherein he took up the studies of philosophy while at the same time he took courses leading to the degree of surveyor and expert assessor at the Ateneo. He finished his course in Ateneo in 1877 and passed the Surveyor‟s exam the year of 1878, but Rizal only being seventeen years of age he was not granted his license to practice the profession on 1881. When he was informed that his mother was going blind, Rizal decided to take up medicine at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery so that he will be able to cure his mother‟s illness. He was not able to complete his program due to the indecent treatment given to him by the Spanish friars.

His brother Paciano was generous enough to

send him to Europe to continue studying in

medicine at the Universidad Central de

Madrid in May 1882. Rizal had extremely

grown both in knowledge and in physical

wellness while he was abroad. He ha learned

twenty two different languages and was a

very good swordsman and was a good shot.

Rizal was able to earn his license in medicine

and continued to study in Paris and in

Heidelberg where he earned his second

doctorate. During the year of 1887, Rizal was

able to finish his specialization in eye surgery.

Besides these achievements that Rizal has

made, he also published his first book the

Nolie Me Tangere. He was informed by how

the Spaniards were treating the Filipino‟s poorly from his friends and newsletters

in Europe. Paciano had also written a letter to Rizal saying that is not safe for him

to come home during this time of the year because many are furious with Rizal‟s

writings and Paciano thought it would be best if Rizal stayed in Europe..

Home Sweet Home

Rizal begged to differ and decided to go back to Manila for many reasons. He wanted to cure his mothers eyes, he wanted to see why Leonor Rivera had stopped replying to his letters, to see for himself how the people have reacted toward his first novel the Noli Me Tangere, and to serve his people who have been brutally treated by the Spanish tyrants. Rizal arrived in Manila August 6

th and decided to stay for a while and visit some

of his friends that lived in the city. He found nothing different from the day he left from Europe, Rizal had a very pleasant stay. He then ventured to Calamba and arrived August 8

th, he was

welcomed warmly by his family. Paciano would not leave Rizal‟s side because he is afraid that if Rizal was left alone it would bring harm not only to Rizal, but to the family as well. Rizal made a clinic in Calamba so that he may operate on his mother‟s eyes. The operation was very successful and word spread quickly. Patients from Calamba and Manila came to Rizal‟s clinic to get checked and he was known as “Doctor Uliman”, meaning he was the doctor from Germany. The money that Rizal had earned from serving the people was used to make a gymnasium for everyone and he introduced different types of sports to the people so that there would be less cockfighting and gambling in town.

Final Decision...

Despite the many happy endings that Rizal has given to his mother and the people of Calamba, there was also a storm that broke out about his novel the Noli Me tangere. Upon his arrival from Manila he received a letter from Governor General Emilio Terrero Perinat requesting Rizal to come to the Malacanang for a meeting because the Governor had heard from others that Rizal had subversive ideas in his novel. Rizal immediately denied the claim and said that he was only saying the truth in his novels and nothing more. A copy was requested from Rizal so that some people may review it, but Rizal had no other copy but the one that he gave to a friend when he first arrived in Manila. After getting a hold of the Noli Me Tangere it quickly spread all over Manila. Filipino‟s would privately read Rizal‟s novel in the dark with closed doors because this was forbidden for it was said to have submissive ideas. Rizal was in critical danger in Manila for the Spanish were very angry for what he had written in his novel.

Going back Abroad Before going back to Europe,

Rizal first travelled to various countries such as Hong Kong, Japan (where he first met O-Sei-San, another lover of his), and later in America. In London, at this time, Rizal was already planning to write the continuation of his first novel, Noli Me Tangere, with the help of Mariano Ponce. Here at London, he also finally finished copying the book of Morga, which states the Philippine‟s history, in the British Museum. Aside from London, Rizal travelled back and fort to Paris and wrote different works for La Soldaridad. He also wrote another one of his famous works which is “To the young women of Malolos”, as requested by Marcelo H. del Pilar.

At Biarritz in France, Rizal finally finished writing his second novel, El Filibusterismo. However, he thought of revising some of its chapters and thus delaying the publishing of the novel. On September 1891, his second novel was finally printed at Ghent. He also received 200 francs from Valentin Ventura for the El Fili‟s publication expenses.

Back at Hong Kong, he was later reunited with his family in December 1891. Rizal was also able to perform the second operation for his mother‟s eyes, thus making her see with her both eyes again. In 1892, after months of staying in Hong Kong, Rizal decided to go back to Philippines and established an organization called La Liga Filipina. It wasn‟t that long when the governor general at that time decided to exile him to Dapitan due to the anti-friar bills.

End of Journey

He was exiled in Dapitan for four years. During those years, Rizal practiced medicine, established a school for boys, promoted community development projects, he also applied his knowledge in engineering by constructing a system of waterworks in order to furnish clean water to the towns people and he also met and fell in love with Josephine Bracken. In his time Dapitan, a member of Katipunan named Pio Valenzuela tried to convince him to join in the revolution. Rather than accepting his offer, Rizal tried to give several advices that would be beneficial to the Katipunan instead. Rizal had advised him to have the rich Filipinos for money to fund them for their weapons, also that if the rich families were on the side of the Katipunan they would be more powerful because of the possible connections they had with the Spaniards. Rizal also warned him about making sure that the middle class would stay neutral because if they weren‟t, the Katipunan would be in very deep trouble because the masses were bigger than they are.

After his exile in Dapitan, he planned to go to Cuba to do some research. But instead to Cuba, he was sent back to Manila and was imprisoned for the second time in Fort Santiago. After the trial, even with the help of his adviser, Luis Taviel de Andrade, Rizal was sentenced to death. During the last evening of his life, he wrote “Mi Ultimo Adios” (My Last Farewell) and hid inside a gas burner. He then gave it to his sister Trinidad and to his wife Josephine. Rizal died December 30, 1896 at the age of 35 by a firing squad at Bagumbayan, currently known as Luneta Park.

Pen and Paper instead of Guns and Sword

Rizal‟s most famous writings were both his novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Both of them gave a huge impact for both the Filipinos and Spaniards at that time. Filipinos were able to see what their country was facing in the hand of the Spaniards. On the other hand, the Spaniards, especially the corrupted friars, were definitely angered to see themselves as filthy as the novels were pertaining. Publishing these novels were already a hassle for Rizal, considering the amount of money he needs to publish enough of these copies not only for his fellow Filipinos but for his friends whom he met on his travel as well.

Aside from these novels, he also wrote essays which of course still focus on what the Filipinos are currently experiencing on the hands of the Spaniards. One of them would be “To the young women of Malolos” whom he wrote obviously for the women at that town. This letter was requested by Marcelo H. del Pilar due to how the women fought back and how they protected their honor against the colonists. His writings also describe his current emotions. For example,

the El Fili was full of vengeance, especially the main character of the novel which was Simoun. At that time, Rizal experienced a lot of pain. He received letters concerning how his family is currently enduring the Spaniards‟ wrath and about his lover being married to another man. The anger and the pain greatly affected his novel. Another one was the “Mi Ultimo Adios”. He wrote this poem at the last

evening of his life. In the poem, he states his final farewell to his love ones. Though depressed, Rizal accepted his fate and the revolution that the Katipunan built as well.

As we can see, every one of his writings was his main weapon against the Spaniards. Rather than using guns and swords that gives pain physically, he used something that can critically hit the colonists inside. Though he refuses bloodshed, as his last poem stated, he finally accepted the revolution which Andres Bonifacio already established. Rizal was also obviously concerned about education and believes that education will lead them to freedom which they wanted to have for years.

Rizal taught me this Aside from the basic facts like Rizal name was very long and that he was born in 1861 & died in 1896 at the age of 35, we learned that Rizal‟s life were more complicated than we thought.

Though he died young, he was able to travel to several countries. This fact itself was already surprising due to at first we thought that he only traveled around two to three countries, including Spain. Some of us even thought that he was somewhere at the “poor” level and that the expenses he used in his travels were from the very last drop of coin of his family. Though we‟ve taken a lot of history classes already, our knowledge concerning about his life was definitely short and insufficient.

Concerning about his novels, we didn‟t know that Rizal experienced a lot of difficulties. Aside from the friars‟ continuous accusations about his novels, he also experience financial problems which is important because money is definitely needed in producing tons of copies of both these novels. If not for his friends which he met in his travels, publishing these novels nationwide would be impossible.

Another important person, whom we‟ve known just recently, was Blumentrit, Rizal‟s closest friend. Ever since Rizal met him, both of them were occasionally exchanging letters. Basically, they‟re trying to know each others‟ situation every now and then. Rizal also sent a letter to Blumentrit before he died, leaving Blumentrit to mourn on his closest friends‟ death.

Lastly, Rizal‟s final days in his life. Though we already know majority of its facts, we didn‟t know that he already accepted the revolution before he died. It was already shown when Pio Valenzuela, a member of the Katipunan, offered Rizal to join the revolution. Though he didn‟t accept the invitation, rather than discouraging them, he even gave them advices that would help them in the revolution. Also in his last poem, Rizal clearly stated his acceptance to the revolution.

From birth until now, we were already brought up that Rizal was our national hero. And after reading articles concerning Rizal, we finally learned the reasons on why Rizal became our national hero. There were actually some people who disagree about Rizal being our national hero, stated in article titled as “Veneration without Understanding”. Though his statements made some sense, after reading another article (Veneration with Understanding) which basically counters the previous one, we fully realized every detail about Rizal‟s position as our hero. Truly it was surprising since we didn‟t even bother the details behind the “national hero” requirement and that we just accepted Rizal being one.

Overall, Rizal taught us how to build our nationalism. With his continuous efforts of attaining education for his fellow Filipino, he showed us that this certain treasure shall lead us to freedom, and that using guns & swords aren‟t the only weapons a Filipino can have.

“History is looking into the past using the eyes of the present”

Submitted by:

Johan Aldover

Joelson Ascano

Aeroncris Lacuesta

Inah Layco

Rafael Macatangay

John Kevin Paris

EE3