Rizal's exile in Dapitan was both a struggle and an opportunity. He sought to stand on what he believed in and continued his mission: the Philippines' liberation. Despite the suffering he experienced paying the price for his principles, he lived a virtuous life and achieved countless accomplishments. Living in Dapitan was more than an exile – his life centered upon serving the community through education, medicine, business, and land development. He also had the chance to meet the love of his life (Josephine Bracken) and spent time with his family in the province.
There were times that Rizal's life was being threatened, as he was offered to be a Spanish subject and revoke his stance on reforming the country. He was looked down on by people whom he looked up to and betrayed even by his closest friends. Being a propagandist was not an easy path for Rizal; he was a captive of the Spanish authorities and was deprived of freedom. However, his reformist writings reached beyond Filipinos' political awakening – there was a budding sense of revolution among the Katipuneros. He knew he had to do something worthwhile in his exile before the Spaniards execute him.
All his time in Dapitan never came to waste. His luck and will made his stay an opportunity to be of service for the community. By winning the lottery, it enabled him to obtain land and build houses for the people and himself: he built a school, a hospital, and farmhouse. He taught underprivileged boys in Dapitan who aren't able to study formally, took time in discovering and learning new things in the province, and allowed him to become a farmer, scientist and businessman. Moreover, throughout his years of traveling and studying, he practiced medicine and provided free medical aid to the unfortunate. He saw his time in Dapitan as an opportunity to fulfill his love for the country and became a fruitful one.
Rizal in Dapitan portrayed the period of Rizal's life when he stood firmly for his convictions and struggled to fulfill his hope of making the world a better place for Filipinos. The film taught me that one could do myriads of leaps when one heeds the call of his purpose. Like Rizal, his pen brought him to reach places he never expected to be – in the minds of the awakened Filipinos. He took the leap of risking his life just to put the message out there: that it is time for the country to be liberated. He pursued his passion while standing steadfastly on what he believed in. In his passion manifested his convictions that made him a hero.
11/09/2020
Rizal Class