Who Deserves To Be The National Hero?
As long as I can remember, there is always a debate about who deserves the honor to become the country’s national hero—is it Jose Rizal or Andres Bonifacio? Let us look at both sides of the dispute to have a better understanding of the case and to be able to assess which perspective really holds water.
Jose Rizal’s Side
On the one hand, people assert that Jose Rizal deserves the title simply because he has contributed a lot of things to shape the Filipino identity. And when they say “a lot”, they really mean “a lot”. Aside from the fact that he had written books that helped a lot in our liberation, he had made other artworks that showed foreigners who we are as a people—literature that helped them understand our culture and identity. In addition, he built a clinic where he treated diseased Filipinos free of charge. Plus, few people know that he actually built a water sewerage system in Dapitan that gave the locals cleaner water to drink. Here are just a few of his contributions to the country that makes him a better role model for the Filipinos compared to Bonifacio.
Andres Bonifacio’s Back-up
On the other hand, some ascertain that Andres Bonifacio deserves to be called the national hero because he had defended the country with his blood. He was played a crucial role in the revolution that freed the country from the tyranny of the Spaniards. In 1982, he organized the movement called “Katipunan” and bravely fought the Spanish using bolos and guns. In effect, he was a more “proactive” hero, so to speak, changing the Philippines from the outside unlike Jose Rizal who was changing it from within. Since Bonifacio was a son of a poor farmer, he experienced what the normal Filipino experienced—Hispanic maltreatment and exploitation. Because of this, some assert that he better represent the grassroots of society—the “commons”, which comprises most of the populace.
The Essence of a Hero
Before we go on debating about who the national hero should be, we should first ask ourselves what being a hero means and determine who fits the criteria. What is a hero anyway? Generally, a hero is a person who does extraordinary things even if he can’t do the “extra” anymore just so he can pursue a cause higher than himself. Observably, the two, Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, both fit the criteria perfectly seeing there sacrifices. The only difference is that Jose Rizal used his education and talents to effectuate change and thus did a more quiet and “internal” revolution, while Andres Bonifacio was applying his kills on battle and thus did an “external” revolution. Therefore, both have done their part. Now, the only question is which person would you want the future generation to follow?
(This is a Guest blog)
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