Ellamae V. Tabuyan Prof.
Narciso Cabanilla
BSCE II-4
Unit 4 – Lesson 7: Assessment
A. Based on the excerpt of Pio Valenzuela’s visit to Jose Rizal in Dapitan,
1. What were Rizal’s views on the impending revolution? Explain your answer
and provide evidence from the excerpt.
Due to the reason that Spain is weakened by the revolution in Cuba, Jose Rizal
approves on the resolutions of the association which are very just and patriotic. He even
suggested for it to be complied as early as possible to take advantage of opportunity.
However, he does not approve on the impending revolution without arms, especially if
battling with an armed nation. According to him, its consequences will be fatal and
disastrous to the country. The Filipinos will necessarily have to lose owing to lack of
arms. The Spaniards, once conquerors, will annihilate the Filipinos who show love 'for
their country, employ all obstacles to prevent the intellectual, moral, and material
progress of the conquered people, who sooner or later will have to start another
revolution.
Rizal also added that when he was in Japan, a Japanese Minister put at his
disposal three merchant ships with which to transport arms to the Philippines. He wrote
to a rich Filipino in Manila, asking to lend him P200,000 for the purpose of buying
firearms and munitions, but the rich Filipino refused him the loan. He then returned to
his native land so that he could unite with his Filipino brothers. Rizal realized that being
united, we could manage to procure all that is necessary for our emancipation. That all
this is now being done by the Katipunan, and all of us should sustain, and work for the
realization of the resolutions made in Pasig.
2. What did Rizal learn from the history of Cuba and his intentions of going there?
Rizal learned that Cuba, which counts with the help and protection of the United
States, having failed in its first struggle, paid dearly in the second, and is paying as
much in this third struggle now. Since the Philippines does not reckon yet with the help
of Japan, it will be difficult to stage a second revolution after the first fails.
Rizal said that his intention in applying for the post of military doctor was to study
the war in a practical way. It is through the Cuban soldiery for he thought he would find
solutions there which would remedy the bad situation in the Philippines. If he were
admitted as a military doctor in Cuba, he explained, he could return to the Philippines
when the necessity arose.
3. What were Rizal’s warning in dealing with the rich and influential Filipinos?
Based on Rizal’s experience, he wrote to a rich Filipino in Manila, asking to lend
him P200,000 for the purpose of buying firearms and munitions, but the rich Filipino
refused. With that, he just returned to the Philippines instead to reunite with his
brothers. He even stressed that rich would win over the soldiers with the use of their
money. Rizal explained further that this type of Filipinos will be your worst enemies if
you commit the imprudence of attacking the Spaniards without the necessary
preparation. When they see you without arms, they will go over the side of Spain to
persecute you. As a result, if the rich Filipinos refuse to cooperate in the great
enterprise, each member of the Katipunan will contribute weekly all that they can
possibly contribute.
B. Utilizing the principles introduced in the lesson, write an essay that applies the
idea of difference, context, and process. There should be at least three
paragraphs in which each paragraph is focused on one principle with supporting
evidence from the discussion above.
When studying the past, we should be guided by three principles that can provide
us with historical awareness. This includes the principles of difference, context, and
process. Difference is defined as the recognition of the gap that separates our own age
from all the previous ages. While not taking difference into consideration creates
anachronisms which is the unthinking assumption that people in the past behaved and
thought the same as we do today. There is a huge difference in the way we perceived
things. When we think of it, since the childhood of Rizal, even as other children
dreamed of childish things, he dreamed of seeing his country free, esteemed, and with
head held high. As compared to today’s generation, career is what first comes to their
minds whenever asked about future. With this, we must acknowledge the restricted
resources available to Filipinos throughout the last hundred years, and how this affects
how we see the past now.
The second principle, context, is where we must always situate our subject of
inquiry in its setting. Placement of the subject of inquiry is indeed important. We can’t
define them based on our own context; it must be on their own context. These are
circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of
which it can be fully understood and assessed. Moreover, it is the part of something
written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its
meaning.
Lastly, process is the relationship between events over time which provides them
with more significance than if they were viewed in isolation. One cannot stand on its
own, it also needs to base itself from other concerns it governs. We can acquire a wider
explanation of things if we examine the events as well as their relationship with one
another. For us to fully understand a certain thing, we should not focus on it alone.
Rather, we should look for the other things it relates to.
