Rizal Module 8 Philippine Nationalism - Bayani and Kabayanihan PDF

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PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM- BAYANI AND KABAYANIHAN“As God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfill obligations or a role in the sublime drama of creation, I cannot exempt from this duty, and small though it be, I too have a mission to fill, as for example: alleviating the suffe...

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Philippine Nationalism- Bayani and Kabayanihan | 1

PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM- BAYANI AND KABAYANIHAN

1. Interpret views and opinions about bayani and kabayanihan in the context of Philippine History and society. 2. Assess the concepts of bayani and kabayanihan in the context of Philippine society. “As God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfill obligations or a role in the sublime drama of creation, I cannot exempt from this duty, and small though it be, I too have a mission to fill, as for example: alleviating the sufferings of my fellowmen.” -

Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal can serve as a sensible model ad inspiration to every Filipino. If one is looking for someone to imitate, then Rizal is a very viable choice. Our national hero‟s philosophies, life principles, convictions, thought, ideals, aspirations, and dreams can be a good influence to anyone. As a man of education, he highly regarded academic excellence, logical and critical thinking, philosophical and scientific inquiry, linguistic study, and cultural research. As a person, he valued nationalism, patriotism, and heroism (or kabayanihan). Bayani vs. Hero The Merriam – Webster Online Dictionary define “hero” as “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; an illustrious warrior; a person admired for achievements and noble qualities, one who shows great courage.” The Filipino counterpart bayani has a basically similar meaning but with some contextual distinctions. The Vicassan‟s Dictionary (Santos, 1978) provides the following meanings for bayani: “- hero, patriot (“taong makabayan”), cooperative endeavor, mutual aid, a person who volunteers or offers free service or labor to a cooperative endeavor, to prevail, to be victorious, to prevail (“mamayani”), leading man in a play (often referred to as the “bida” – from the Spanish word life, “vida” – who is contrasted with the villain or “kontrabida” from the Spanish “contra vida,” against life). These words help us better understand the word for the lifesaver, the inflatable rubber tube or “salbabida”, from the Spanish “salvar vida, “to save life].” (as cited in Ocampo, 2016). On the other hand, the Up Diksiyionaryong Filipino (2001) give three meanings for „bayani‟: “ (a) A person of extraordinary courage and ability; (b) A person considered to possess extraordinary talents or someone who did something noble (“dakila”); (c) A leading man in a play The reference adds that heroes (mga bayani) in the context of mythology refer to those who had the qualities of the gods, extraordinary strength, bravery, or ability. The Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala by the Jesuits Juan de Noceda and Pedro de Sanlucer 1754 & 1860) lists these meanings for bayani; “someone who is brave or valiant, someone who works toward a common task or cooperative endeavor (“bayanihan”) (as cited in Ocampo, 2016).

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History professor Ambeth Ocampo sees it significant that bayani comes a few words under bayan, which is also defined as: “the space between here and the sky. Bayan is also a town, municipality, pueblo, or nation, and can refer to people and citizens (mamamayan) who live in those communities, or to those who originate or come from the same place (kababayan). Bayan also refers to the day (araw) or a time of day (malalim ang bayan) or even to the weather, good or bad (masamang bayan). (Ocampo, 2016) Ocampo, thus, concludes that “hero” and bayani do not have the same meaning. Bayani is a richer word than hero because it may be rooted in bayan as place or in doing something great, not for oneself but for a greater good, for community or nation” (Ocampo, 2016). The Changing Forms and Definitions of Bayani and Kabayanihan Especially when anchored on the definitions given by old dictionaries, mga bayani may historically (and profoundly) refer to those who contributed to the birth of a nation. However, the modern-day bayani may refer to someone who contributes to a nation in a global world. One case in point is out Overseas Filipino Workers (PFWs) – Filipinos who are working in foreign countries. They basically travel abroad in pursuit of better employment to provide for the needs of their respective families in the Philippines. OFWs are often referred to as mga bagong bayani. Working abroad is a form of taking risks (pakikipagsapalaran) for them as it entails sacrifices and likely dangers, such as loneliness, anxieties, traumas, fatigue, culture shock, and even exploitation. All of these they are willing to endure just to make a living and grant a better future for their respective families, from whom they are separated for years. OFWs also play a vital role in the progress of the Philippines‟ economic status. By remitting their savings back to the country, they help the government in pulling up the country‟s economic status with the overall dollar reserve. The money they send provides the much-needed hard currency, saving the country from defaulting on foreign debt obligations. In the process, OFWs also help stabilize the Philippine peso in relation to peso-dollar exchange and also contribute to the country‟s GNP growth. In recognition of their contributions to the national economy, OFWs are, thus called “Bayang Bayani” (Modern-day Heroes) and the Philippines celebrates December as the Month of Overseas Filipino Workers. This only goes to show that our concept of kabayanihan and bayani do shift and evolve. To have a better understanding of how these concepts change, let us compare the nation of OFWs as modern-day bayani to earlier meanings of bayani. The online article. “Ang Salitang Bayani sa Pilipinas” explains its etymology: Ang salitang “bayani” ay isang Austronesian an salita na dinala ng ating mga katutubo sa ating bayan. Ang mga bayani ay ang mga mandirigma kung saan sila ay nanguna sa pagtatanggol ng pamayanan laban sa mga kinahaharap na mga kaaway at mga panganib. Ang ilan sa mga diribatibo ng salitang bayani ay bajani, majani, bagabnim, bahani. Sa kultura nating mga Pilipino ang pagiging bayani ay nasusukat sa katapangan at sa bilang ng napapatay na kaaway. May iba‟t iba itong antas. Ang mga antas na ito ay kinikilala bilang: (a) Maniklad, and pinakamababang uri ng bayani na nakapatay ng isa o dalawang kaaway, karaniwang siya ay nakasuot ng putong na pula at dilaw;

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(b) Hanagan naman kung tawagin ang nasa ikalawang antas, siya ay sumasailalim sa ritwal na kung saan ay dapat siyang sapian ni Tagbusaw, ang diyos ng pakikidigma ay kainin ang atay at puso ng mga kaaway. Karaniwang nagsusuot ang mga ito ng pulag putong; (c) Kinaboan naman kung tawagin ang makakapatay ng dalawampu hanggang dalawamput pito at karaniwang nakasuot ng pulang pantalon; (d) Luto naman kung tawagin ang makakapatay ng limampu hanggang 100 na kaaway at karaniwang nagsusuot ng pulang jacket; (e) Lunugum naman ang pinakapaborito ng diyos na si Tagbusaw dahil dito maipakikita niya ang kanyang kaaway sa sarili nitong tahanan. Itim ang karaniwang suot ng mga ito. (Ang salitang Bayani sa Pilipinas,”n.d) Filipino Historian and Pantayong Pananaw proponent Dr. Zeus A. Salazar offers another sense of the term bayani and believes that mga bayani are different from “heroes.” For him, “ang mga bayani ay mga taong naglalakbay at bumabalik sa bayan… ang mga bayani ay lumalaban ng may kooperasyon [samantalang] ang mga hero (western concept) ay lumalaban mag-isa.. Ang bayani ah hindi kailangang mamatay upang maging bayani, kailangan niya lang gumawa ng magagandang impluwensya at mga Gawain sa bayan upang tawwaging bayani (“Ang Salitang Bayani sa Pilipinas”n.d). This definition gives us hope that anyone of us can be a bayani too in our respective communities. Who Made Rizal Our Foremost Bayani? Esteban A, de Ocampo‟s article, “Who made Rizal Our Foremost National Hero, and Why?” has become well-known in depending Jose Rizal‟s being the Philippine‟s foremost hero. Essentially, it denies the claim that Rizal is a made-to-order national hero manufactured by the Americans, chiefly by then Civil Governor William Howard Taft. Ocampo believes, and thus justifies that Rizal is our foremost and greatest national hero. Ocampo uses as basis the meaning of the term hero by the Webster‟s New International Dictionary of the English Language: a. a prominent or central personage taking admirable part in any remarkable action or event; b. a person of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger; c. a man honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional service to mankind. Referring to the first definition, Rizal was said to have taken an “admirable part” in the Propaganda Campaign (1882-1896) and his Noli Me Tangere (Berlin, 1887) was said to be far superior and greater than those published by Pedro Paterno, Marcelo Del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and Antonio Luna. In fact, Rizal‟s Noli (and the Fili) resulted in the enactment of a law now known as RA 1425. In 1902, Cong. Henry Allen Cooper of Wisconsin delivered a eulogy of Rizal and even recited the hero‟s last poem at the U.S. House of Representatives to justify the capacity of the Filipinos for self-government. In part, he said: “…So Sir, I say to all those who denounce Filipino indiscriminately as barbarians and savages, without possibility of a civilized future, that this despised race proved itself entitled to their respect and to the respect of mankind when it furnished to the world the character of Jose Rizal.” The appeal resulted in the approval of what is popularly known as the Philippine Bill of 1902. Using the second quoted meaning of “hero,” De Ocampo claims that no Filipino has yet been born who can equal or surpass Rizal as a “person of distinguished valor/ enterprise in danger, fortitude in suffering.” De Ocampo uses as justification the

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description by Rafael Palma and Dr. Frank C. Laubach (an American biographer of Rizal) of Rizal‟s noble self-denial, heroism, moral courage, and complete abandonment of his personal interest to think only of those of his country. Anchoring on the third quoted definition of “hero,” De Ocampo proposes that Rizal “is a man honored after death by public worship, because of exceptional service to mankind.” The following is De Ocampo‟s long justification in part. “We can say that even before his execution, Rizal was [the] already acclaimed by both Filipinos and foreigners as the foremost leader of his people.” Writing from Barcelona to the Great Malayan on March 10, 1889, M. H. del Pilar said: “Rizal no tiene aun derecho a morir: su nombre constutuye la mas pura e immaculada bandera de aspiraciones y Plaridel los suyos no son otra causa ma que immaculada unos voluntaries que militant bajo esa bandera.” Fernando Acevedo, who called Rizal his distinguido amigo, compañero y paisano, wrote Rizal a letter from Zaragoza, Spain on October 25, 1889: “I see in you the model Filipino; your application to study and your talents have been placed on a height which I revere and admire…” Among the foreigners who recognized Rizal as the leading Filipino of his time were Blumentritt, Napoleon M. Kheil, Dr, Rheinhold Rost, and Vicente Barrantes. Prof. Blumentritt told Dr. Maximo Viola in May 1887 that “Rizal was the greatest product of the Philippines and that his coming to the world was like the appearance of a rare comet, whose rare brilliance appears only every other century.” Napoleon Kheil of Prague, Austria, wrote to Rizal and said “admiro en Vd.[a] un noble representante de la España colonial.” Dr. Rost, distinguished Malayologist and librarian of the India office of London, called Rizal “una perla hombre,” while Don Vicente Barrantes had to admit that Rizal was “the first among the Filipinos… Even before the outbreak of the revolutions against Spain in 1896, many instances can be cited to prove that this country here and abroad recognized Rizal‟s leadership. In the early part of 1899 he was unanimously elected by the Filipinos in Barcelona and Madrid as honorary president of La Solidaridad. In January 1891, Rizal was again unanimously chosen Responsible (chief) of the Spanish-Filipino association. He was also the founder and moving spirit in the founding of La Liga Filipina in Manila on July 3, 1892. History tells us that the revolutionary society known as Katipunan, likewise, acknowledged Rizal‟s leadership and greatness by making him its honorary President and by using his family name Rizal as the password for the third-degree members. A year after Rizal‟s execution, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and the other revolutionary chiefs exiled to Hong Kong held a commemorative program there on December 29, 1897 on the occasion of the first anniversary of the hero‟s execution and martyrdom. …Of utmost significance in the public‟s appreciation for Rizal‟s patriotic labors in behalf of his people were the tributes paid by the revolutionary government in his memory. In his opening address at the congress assembled in Malolos, Bulacan on September 15, 1898, Pres. Aguinaldo invoked the spirits of the departed heroes of the fatherland [primarily Rizal]. Then on December 20, 1898 at the revolutionary capital of Malolos, Pres. Aguinaldo issued the first official proclamation making December 30 of that year “Rizal Day.” The same proclamation ordered the hoisting of the Filipino flag at half-mast “from noon on December 30, 1898” and the closing of “all offices of the government” during the whole day of December 30. Actually, the impressive Rizal Day program sponsored by the Club Filipino, was held in Manila on December 30, 1898. The Filipinos were not alone in grieving the untimely death of their hero and idol, for the intellectual and scientific circles pf the world felt keenly the loss of Rizal, who...