A Knight’s Take on the Practical Manifestation of Rizal’s Heroism-Volunteerism
By Sir Alwyn Galela, KGOR
Cleveland Chapter
December 30, 2020
The Knights of Rizal (KOR) is an international fraternal brotherhood- a volunteer organization. It requires members to go through a knighting ceremony, pay dues and adhere to its By-Laws. Being a volunteer organization, not everyone would prosper in the Knights of Rizal. But when does one become vested in the Knights? When does one buy-in into this volunteer organization? Dr. Rizal, himself, also volunteered! As Knights of Rizal, let us spend a little time on his volunteering and, maybe pick up on this practical approach of his heroism.
Dr. Rizal made three gigantic volunteering in his short life. His volunteerism changed the course of our history, his life and henceforth affected how Filipinos were viewed internationally.
After his first departure for the Europe in 1882, he wrote to his parents who did not know about his trip. It was a letter of apology and an explanation on why he left the Philippines at that time. He wrote:
“But 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 myself from this duty, and small though it be, I too have a mission to fill, as for example, alleviating the sufferings of my fellow-men. I realize that all this means sacrifices, and terrible ones…. But I feel something that obliges and impels me to leave”
This secret mission, according to Zaide, was echoed by his brother Paciano, on his letter response. Trying to console the uneasiness of their parents, particularly their father, he stated in his letter to Dr. Rizal,
“Notwithstanding, he remained always sad. Seeing this and fearing that his taciturnity might degenerate into a malady, I told him everything, but to him alone, begging him to keep the secret and he promised to do so.”
From the beginning, he volunteered to leave the Philippines with a secret mission. His self-driven nature and the sense of mission led the way for him to participate in this fateful journey. I do not know whether, he nor Paciano had any idea of what the future had entail for Dr. Rizal and our Motherland. I do not know if he was aware that he might be setting himself up for failure with such tremendous ideals. At a young age of 21, he was way ahead of his peers and in 14 years he would be martyred in Bagumbayan and inspire the Philippine Revolution.
One organization that inspired him, due to their active and open criticism of the Spanish Government, was the Masonry. In 1883, he joined the Acacia Lodge in Madrid. Zaide forwards the idea that Dr. Rizal wanted to avail of Freemasonry aide in his struggle for a better Philippines under Spain. In his only Masonic writing that he delivered in the Lodge Solidaridad he exhibited, again, his deep allegiance to his “secret mission”. He stated,
“The duty of modern man… is to work for the redemption of humanity because once man is dignified there would be less unfortunate and more happy men that is possible in this life. Humanity cannot be redeemed so long as there are oppressed peoples, so long as there are some men who live on the tears of many, so long as there are emasculated minds and blinded eyes that enable others to live like sultans who alone may enjoy beauty.”
Such powerful and beautiful words. If I did not tell you that this was Dr. Rizal, it could have been very well be spoken by JFK or Pierre Trudeau. Its message is timeless.
Annotation is defined as “add notes to (a text or diagram) giving explanation or comment.” Dr. Rizal was not a historian, he was a physician by training. But that did not stop him from correcting Spanish historians’ misconstrued interpretation of our earlier culture and people. He volunteered to painstakingly annotate Morga’s Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas in 1890. While in London, in the British Museum, he spent 10 months studying Philippine history written from the eyes of the conquerors. He wanted to correct the notion that the Filipinos were savages and low mentality before the Spanish conquerors came in 1521.
And also while in Europe, unlike the other Filipinos whose main interest was vacationing, clubbing, and shopping, Rizal involved himself with educating himself with European way of life and learning new ideas.
In fact, the idea of writing a novel about the Philippines (Noli and Fili) was supposed to be a group effort and not a lonesome endeavor. After reading Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Rizal was inspired to depict injustices under the Spanish Regime. During a reunion of Filipinos in the Paterno residence in Madrid on 1884, his proposal to write a novel was unanimously approved by those present. However, it was a collaboration without action. According to Zaide, “almost everybody (males) wanted to write on women”. Needless to say, Dr. Rizal was disgusted. But he was undaunted and was determined. However, also, after finishing the Noli, he was broke and had no means to publish the novel. The ravages of locust of cash crops and the collapse of the sugar market back home made it impossible for financial support to come from his family in the Philippines. He almost burned the manuscript.
The other time, and the last time Dr. Rizal volunteered, was a display of his humanitarianism. Learning of the deplorable health situation in war-ridden Cuba, in 1895, he wrote the Governor General while in Dapitan. He offered his services as a military doctor. He left Dapitan to ostensibly be en-route to Cuba. The whole community of Dapitan sent him off. Most wept as the streamer carrying him sailed to the sea. Like a premonition, it was the start of his end, the town brass band strangely played the funeral march by Chopin.
KOR’s lifeblood is its volunteer-Knights. It is almost impossible to think that the Knights that we bring in would not affect the integrity and define the KOR. How are we to define ourselves or our fraternal brotherhood? It is by bringing volunteers in who are men of honor, virtue, and altruism. Our volunteerism might not change the course of history like Dr. Rizal’s but at least make our community better. Be a hero in our own right. NOM.