Jose Rizal

Write a reflection paper tracing the development of Rizal as a reformist who began to work for changes in his country using: a) one (1) work from Rizal As A Reformist b) the Noli Me Tangere
Show also the significance of these works on Filipino society today and how it can change today’s trends.

Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa by Dr. Jose P. Rizal (keyword: love of country)
Rizal’s Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa was written in 1882 when Rizal was 21 years old. Rizal was away in Spain for only a month, which may have inspired him to write this literature because he misses his homeland. This work of Rizal is a very significant work of Rizal as a reformist because it expresses his dear love for his native land. As he wrote this literature and felt his love for his country, he builds the foundation of him being a reformist because of the drive to fight for change. Through Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa, Rizal realizes how much he loves his country and that it has fallen into the wrong governance and that this needs to be changed. Through the lines “Maging anuman nga ang kalagayan natin, ay nararapat nating mahalin siya at walang ibang bagay na dapat naisin tayo kundi ang kagalingan niya (referring to Philippines)” Rizal explicitly reveals his love for the country and expresses the importance to love and work for the betterment of our homeland. It can also be seen in these lines that even if he is out of the country studying, he will do his part as a Filipino to fight for the rights of every Filipino. Today, this work of Rizal may serve as a reminder for all the people in this country that being a Filipino calls for a duty to serve our native land and fellow citizens. If though Rizal’s work, Filipinos realize their duty as a citizen and love for their country, the Philippines would be a better place to live in and it would be easy to manipulate the society towards a progressive nation.

Noli Me Tangere by Dr. Jose P. Rizal
Rizal’s well-known novel entitled Noli Me Tangere is one of his works that clearly expresses Rizal as a reformist. Rizal finished his first novel when he was at the age of 26 years old. The hero was penniless, good thanks to his friend Maximo Viola who supported him and shouldered the publication of this novel, the reason why we have a copy in our hands. In this novel, Rizal conveys his belief that education is very important and is an effective tool for reform in the country. Rizal was very brave to depict the issues in the Philippines such as corruption and oppression through the characters and storyline in his novel.
The Noli Me Tangere was a very expressive move of Rizal to start the campaign for liberal reform for the country. In this book, Rizal shares his personal experiences at the harsh hands of the Spaniards, as well as experiences shared by his loved ones. Rizal’s brave soul to publish a novel containing these experiences and lessons, encourages Filipinos to be continuous is learning as he did. It again, boils down to his belief that education will strengthen one’s principles in life and even open your world to the experiences of other people.
Until today, Noli Me Tangere and its sequel El Filibusterismo serve as an inspiration for writers to express through literature any present issues in the society. It also evokes the idea of liberalism in such a way that Filipinos has become open-minded to innovations and beliefs that will benefit the country. Most importantly, education is very well valued, as tool needed by every individual to help progress the country.