National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal and the Town of Hagonoy
Canada
Fri 15th October 2010
What is the connection, influence or relevance of the national hero to the town of Hagonoy, Bulacan ? As far as I could remember way back in the 50s, Dr. Jose P. Rizal had a profound influence on my beloved town specially on the youth. Escayola busts of the Hero were displayed at the public elementary schools. Some portraits of him were also hung in the classrooms. The stanza Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling salita, ay mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda, kaya nararapat pagyamining kusa natulad ng inang tunay nanagpala. ( He who does not love his native language is worse than a beast and a putrid fish, so its just right to preserve it true, like an old mother who nurtured you ) was prominently displayed on a cardboard poster in almost all the classrooms of the public schools. This quotation was lifted from his poem entitled Sa Aking Mga Kababata ( To My Fellow Filipino Youth ) a poem he composed at the tender age of 8, an early indication and preshowcasing of his genius in literature.
Rizal later on wrote in El Filbusterismo that when a people preserves its language, it preserves the marks of its liberty and independence language is the thought of the people. This poem together with his legendary burning of the midnight oil in his study inspired and piqued the desire of the towns youth to seek more knowledge, to study harder and emulate the national hero. They learned also about the story of the gamu-gamu ( moth ) that hovered around the oil lamp and got singed and eventually got burned when coming too close to the lamp.
The youth was also taught that the J.P. Rizal utilized all of his genius and talents for the betterment of the Filipino people consummating his sacrifice at the altar of Bagumbayn now Luneta. I remember the excursion of the barrio folks to Calamba Laguna to see and experience the birthplace of the national hero. Jeepneys were used for these excursions usually to Antipolo Rizal, Balara filtration and Hinulugang Taktak falls but sometimes to historical places like Calamba and also sidetrips to Los Banos IRRI and to the swimming pool fed from the cold water of Mount Makiling. His June 19 birthday was celebrated in schools and public plaza and his December 30 death anniversary was also commemorated.
The proliferation in the whole Philippines in general and in Hagonoy in particular, of everyday items such as the posporo, the cooking oil, the zarzaparilla and crme soda, the monetary bills and coins, all with the trademark of RIZAL made indelible impression on the towns folks specially the impressionable minds of the youth. His monumental epic novels of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo were read in comics magazine form by the youth and adults alike. The Noli Me Tangere ( English translation from Latin Touch Me Not ) touched my youthful heart that the Hero wanted to be free, not to be hindered, NOT TO BE HELD ON, to realize his aspirations and dreams of freeing his fellow indios from the shackles of oppression of the misguided church and its overbearing friars, and free from the chains of ignorance and poverty through establishment of schools and industry. The hero was also commemorated in philatelic stamps, in street names, towns, and a province, of schools and college names. I have a cousin named after him, Rizal Faundo of San Jose Hagonoy and later a friend Rizal Victoria who lives in Germany.
Hagonoy is blessed with a chapter of the Knights of Rzal headed by KCR Dr. Hernane Pulumbarit. His brother is KGOR Fran Pulumbarit who had been an area commander of the greater Toronto area of Ontario Canada. Yours truly was commander of the Ajax chapter of Ontario. Sir Fran Pulumbarit and I are lifetime members of the Knights
of Rizal. The most prominent member of the Knights of Rizal from Hagonoy is no other than exconcon delegate KGCR Pablo Trillana lll who was elected supreme deputy commander of the Order for 2008 2010. He has served before as such for the interim term of supreme commander Jose Lina. He is now the Supreme Commander for 2010 to 2012 He has written and published 2 books on Rizal. One is entitled The Loves of Rizal and Other Essays and the other is Rizal and Heroic Traditions : A Sense of National Destiny. He has also published a book on Hagonoy wherein yours truly is a contributing author of around ten articles story documentary.
Dr, Jose P. Rizal has a lasting impression on Hagonoy town folks specially the youth of yesteryears who have brought this legacy even to distant lands where they immigrated like Canada, United States of America, Germany and other foreign countries. I hope that this emulation of the national hero continues in our native land Philippines in general, and in our beloved town of Hagonoy in particular.