“To the Filipino Youth”

The poem “To the Filipino Youth” by Dr. Jose Rizal is a message primarily to tell the
importance of one’s love and appreciation to his language, for it is the bridge that’s connects
people’s country to each other.
In the poem, Rizal praised the rising generation. This poem can be considered as Rizal’s first
testimony and presentation of his nationalism. In this literary piece, he clearly referred to the
Philippines as his motherland, Rizal thought in the poem relates to the role of the youth with the
nation building.
Dr. Jose Rizal composed this poem, dedicating it to the youth of the Philippines. He wanted the
Filipino youth to use their capabilities, talents and skills to stand out not only for their own praise
and success but also for the praise and success of their own motherland, the Philippines. Dr. Jose
Rizal wanted the Filipino youth to build up their abilities and use them to help those who are in
need. Rizal here addresses the youth, comparing their abilities to a magic brush that can capture
even the most majestic views and the most glorious charms on a blank canvas. This poem shows
that Rizal believed the Filipino youth is as brilliant as those in any other nation, and is able to
contend with even the strongest powers if they only set their mind to making most of what they
already have.
According to some, youth are back bone of the nation. They can change the future of the society
with their well-being, plucky and courageous behavior. Unfortunately, today we find the youth
those who are more interested in other places which are not useful to them as well as to our
motherland. They have no vision and if they do they do not have the drive to make any attempt
nor intent of having them achieved.
The youth of today are out of control, they follow the wrong path just for their pleasure, leisure
and popularity. We, the youth, with regards with facing the problems we have today should be
done by a centered and powerful guidance, providing activities that will make us realize the real
essence of being a youth and of course the teaching of what is really right and what is really
essential and precious with our nation. We must motivate our co-youth; we must teach everyone
the significance of responsibility and the purpose of goal setting.
Just like in the poem written by Rizal, “The Filipino Youth”, if we are going to open our mind
and make this challenge a stepping stone, then we can survive, prove something to ourselves and
be proud that we succeed. Life is not about challenges; it is about how you will face those
challenges. Life is not about just complying; it is about complying with all your wills and efforts.
Just like lif, you are not that good enough even you already got everything you have wanted. We
should bear in our mind that learning is constant, life is a nonstop learning.
In this present era, youth’s improvement was never an easy task. If we, this nation’s youth will
hold and nurture everything our parents, mentors, and leaders invested. We, the youth can grow
to be responsible adults of tomorrow just like what our national hero wants us to be.
“The Indolence of the Filipinos”
This essay was written by Dr. Jose Rizal to explain the alleged idleness of Filipino people during
Spanish Colonization. He wanted to end the insults to the Filipinos about this instilled culture.
He wanted to awaken his countrymen to their own faults and at same time condemning the
defects in Spain’s colonial system which causes shortcomings among Filipinos. Rizal pointed out
that long before the coming of the Spaniards, the Filipinos were industrious and hardworking.
The Spanish reign brought about a decline in economic activities because of certain causes.
When the Spaniards came in the Philippines full-forced, burned houses, eradicated some goods
and resources, killed many Filipinos and take over and control the economy even the lands,
farms and villages. Filipinos were forced to work and farms were left uncultivated. Friars are
more powerful than Government officials and Filipinos were being denied of economic rights
and thus resulted for any Filipinos to give up their work, lands and even their life. They became
hopeless.
Rizal also mentioned that Gambling was rampant because work for them as well as sacrifices
would not suffice their daily life and money for them became their saving grace. Twisted Friars
controlled the minds of innocent Filipinos and instilled them false beliefs on Catholicism. There
was a crooked system of religion. The friars taught the naive Filipinos that it was easier for a
poor man to enter heaven, and so they preferred not to work and remain poor so that they could
easily enter heaven after they died.
Another cause is because the taxes were extremely high, so much so that a huge portion of what
they earned went to the government or to the friars. Rizal also admitted that the Filipinos did not
work so hard because they were wise enough to adjust themselves to the warm, tropical climate.

Poverty is one of the top problems in our country, corrupt officials, unsettled reforms, illiteracy,
slow progress, injustice and unequal opportunity, they are still rampant as they were during the
Spanish regime. Sad to say but it seems that we did not learn from our mistakes in the past and
we are allowing ourselves to live in yet another nightmare again.
Indolence really does exist in our society, we cannot deny the fact that indolence is indolence
even in the simplest form, disobeying traffic rules, leaving the trash behind when you can throw
them properly, procrastinating and the countless manana habit.
Dr. Jose Rizal would not wanted this, I mean everyone wouldn’t wanted this , we wanted
progress in our country and to attain that, we have to start from small steps and small things
within ourselves before focusing on the bigger picture. We should start to be more responsible in
our own actions and to make sure that those actions will not harm anybody and instead benefit
ourselves and the country as well.
This essay “The Indolence of the Filipinos”, should inspire us to continue working for the
progress of the country and also for our own good. Rizal wanted us to reflect on ourselves, make
us realize that we deserved to be treated equally and for us to be aware of our rights as a citizen
of this country.
El Filibusterismo

El Filibusterismo, the last published novel of Dr. Jose Rizal, is credited with having sparked the
fires of the so-called Philippine Revolution of 1896, which fought for the liberation of the
country from Spanish colonial oppression. For this reason, this novel was hailed as one of the
greatest Filipino novels of all time.
This novel is a socio-critical work, with many chapters and scenes set pieces to show just how
corrupt the high society and the friars have become. El Filibusterismo is far more dark and brutal
than Noli Me Tangere. With many events of murder, sexual abuse and suicide, El Filibusterismo
is a massive turning point not only for the plot but also for the characters. Crisostomo Ibarra
really did grow as a character in this book. He is obviously not the idealistic and open man he
was once before. He became vengeful, angry and in somewhat way, cunning. El Filibusterismo
showed us how anger and vengeance can take over a person’s being.
El filibusterismo also denotes the continuing struggle between the church and colonial
government against the Filipinos. Here Rizal introduced a character named Cabesang Tales who
was a victim of oppression of the church by unreasonably grabbing his land. In return to his
oppression, he joined the revolution. Cabesang Tales has a daughter named Juli. Juli was
depicted to be a beautiful and charming young woman, a contemporary character of Maria Clara
in Noli Me Tangere. She was the love interest of Basilio, who asked for the influence of Fr.
Camorra in the release of Basilio from incarceration because of an allegation that he was a
member of the subversives. However, because of the lust that Fr. Camorra has on Juli, she chose
to throw herself out of the window rather than to be raped by the friar. Juli is the embodiment of
the modern young women, who are courageous and gives great importance to their loyalty to a
lover and purity as a woman of society. Father Camorra on the other hand, is the exact likeness
of Father Damaso in the first novel of Rizal. He is arrogant and opportunistic. He used his
position as a clergyman to install influence to the government officials. Today we can associate
Fr. Camorra to the priest and pastors who proclaim themselves as vicars of Christ, but exhibit the
opposite of his teachings.
Basilio is still in the novel and he is a grown boy now. He is already studying for college. At
first, Basilio is still hesitant to join the revolution being proposed by Simoun for the reason that
his career is more important to him. I can see many modern Basilio is in the society today. They
are those who always think first of themselves before the advantage of their country. They tend
to oppose new ideas of reform and only agree to it if they were already became a victim of the
system. Like Basilio who joined Simoun only after the death of her lover Juli. Also some
modern Isagani and Macaraig are still active in the society today. They are those student leaders
who always ready to risk their lives just for the reform and advancement of modern educational
system.
This second novel of Rizal is full of hatred and vengeance to the state. This is clearly showed by
Rizal in his attempt to blow the house were a party is being held for the marriage of Paulina
Gomez and Pelaez. This scenario gave the reader the idea of Rizal’s concept of a violent
revolution. That if we always turn to arm struggle to overthrow and end the oppression of the
government we are always bound to fall like the destiny of Simoun who took a poison to end his
life knowing that he was unsuccessful with his plans. In addition like in Noli Me Tangere, we
can clearly see how Rizal emphasized the importance and effect of education to the masses, how
it would eventually free from chains of oppression the slave of ignorance.