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The Great Malay


TODAY in the Philippines, December 30, we celebrate the 111th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Filipino People's National Hero, Dr. Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal Alonso y Realonda or simply and internationally known as Jose Rizal. No other 19th Century Filipino whose works, life and times has been chronicled and placed in a lofty pedestal than that of Dr. Rizal. A hero, poet, medical doctor, mason, scientist, inventor, a novelist, journalist, playwright, literary genius, sculptor, painter, an excellent student, polymath, linguist, a political figure, visionary, and above all, a Filipino, Dr. Rizal championed the emancipation of the Philippines from oppressive Western colonization. His works, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Filibuster) not only changed the course of Philippine history which catapulted our nation to become the First Republic in Asia but also changed the fate of the Filipino as a people. His name is immortalized in monuments around the world, in Philippine currency, places, University names, various products, history books and award-winning films. His life is also chronicled not only by Filipino authors but also by Western and Asian authors alike.
Just as Dr. Rizal is often portrayed as the "little brown Filipino in velvet suit and cloak", so does the mystery of his life has as yet to be unveiled. In the mountains of Rizal province, Quezon and Batangas, religious cults and sects revere him as a minor "god", even giving him the title of "The Brown Christ." I had that rare chance to live with these religious sects and observed and studied how they worshipped him.
Among my favorite poems written by Dr. Rizal are Mi Ultimo Adios (The Final Farewell) and A La Juventud Filipina (To The Filipino Youth). In Mi Ultimo, Dr. Rizal beautifully described the Philippines as a "region del sol querida, Perla del Mar de Oriente" (region of the sun caressed, Pearl of the Orient Sea). In his poem A La Juventud, Dr. Rizal called out to the Filipino youth - "Alza su tersa frente!" (Unfold, oh timid flower!). His prose and verses still bring tears to my eyes. As a child touring a museum, I was struck by his obra maestra (masterpiece) sculpture entitled as "The Triumph of Science Over Death."
A deity or not, mysterious or not, I still view Dr. Rizal as a Great Humanist. His passion for travel across Asia, Europe and the United States, his appreciation of the different cultures of the world and his love for the arts made him a true cosmopolitan man. As in the words of Dr. Mahatir of Malaysia, Dr. Jose Rizal is "The Greatest Malay" the world has ever produced.
Mabuhay ka, o Bayaning immortal!

By Jake Tornado