By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
In essence, the Liga’s goal was nothing short of an independent, free, and unified Filipino nation. One that stands free and stands straight with the backbone of her own identity, a Filipino. An identity with no smears by foreign touches, but one that shines with a Philippine radiance. In a nation that is filled with different cultures, traditions, and customs, unity may be the last thing that happens, nevertheless it is a goal worth fighting for, no matter the era, now or in the past, it is a goal that should be pursued so long as injustices riddled the country. Independence through reformation, I believe, was the Liga’s main goal. Not through bloodshed, but through the words of men, they had hoped to gain independence from Spain. It was a noble cause, and resorting through peaceful methods shows me and our nation that despite all the injustices being done, all the terror spreading throughout the country, it fills me with great joy that our ancestors did not let go of their own humanity. In an environment of depravity, character must stand tall against all that might corrupt it. Whether it be disguised as revenge, greed, or perceived justice, a good character must always prevail and must always endure.
Although, were our ancestors ever seen as humans in the eyes of the colonists? As humans, we may be hesitant to listen to people we perceive as below us. Yet when arrogance takes our heads up into the sky, would we even consider the possibility of someone being equal to us? With their arrogance, would the Spanish even consider any group of people around the world to talk with, face to face, mano a mano? Perhaps they would listen to their European neighbors, but that’s already a big gamble. What were the chances be, for a people who were short, brown, wore unique clothing, and spoke foreign languages? What were our ancestors’ chances with a group so blinded by greed and high on arrogance to be able to talk with?
There is only so much a person can endure when a foot is stomped across their necks, only so much time until he has to breath, and stand up for himself.
Rizal’s exile was a message clear enough, much clarity to light up the colonists’ own intentions, no independence. Back in Europe, Spain was already losing her prestige, they were not the majestic people they saw themselves to be. United Kingdom and France overtook Spain and Portugal, two former countries that held the world under their grasps, were but failing and sickly nations, a united Germany was slowly consolidating, and even the United States could not be ignored. It was a wonder why Spain could not have listened to the talks of reformation, perhaps it was the pride of a noble race, one we “savages” could not understand.
But one thing we did understand, was freedom, its value and its price. It was clear that independence had to be gained through blood. For an old nation like Spain that was not new to conflict, blood might be the only thing that could get their attention. The rebellion may have been unprepared but they fought on. They could have regrouped and laid low, yet our ancestors fought on despite the low chances of victory. To me, this speaks volumes on how much abuse the people could no longer take, even animals lived better than some Filipinos. Instead of living as animals, they chose to fight and die as humans.
And as we stand today, with a flag we can proudly look up to, an independent nation, and a people that proudly call themselves Filipinos. We have moved forward as one, but we still have things to learn from the past. Most especially, we should not forget what Rizal did as a reformer, radical, and an exile. All situations he lived so to give back to the people. Even as an exile, Rizal did not stop helping the people, whoever they may be. We may be free as a nation, but there are still some discords among us, the Tagalogs, Ilocanos, Bisayans, Igorots, Christians, Muslims, etc. Our diversity as a nation is not something that should divide us, rather it should be something we should be proud of, one that unites us. Rizal did not hesitate to help the people of Dapitan, and he used his gifts, skills, and talents for the people. Filipino is not something that is limited to merely looks.
We have been looked down upon before because of what we look like, and not our own character, let us not do what the colonizers did. Let us do what our national heroes did, what Rizal did in Dapitan. Help the Filipinos, stand strong in an environment where it would be easier to conform to its depraved personalities, look past the looks of others, and most importantly, love our nation and her people.
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