Those were the last words heard from Dr. Jose Rizal before he was shot in the back on December 30, 1896, in Bagumbayan Field in Manila. In English, it means "It is finished." He was talking about his journey fighting the Spaniards. He served his countrymen and sacrificed his love and time for himself and his family. It is finished. His war with the Spanish colony is done, his trip is finally over, and he can now go to a place where there was no tyranny and slavery. A place where there is freedom and peace.
I am not going to lie nor deny that I was a crying baby while reading the last days and execution of Dr. Jose Rizal. In fact, my eyes are now swollen because of crying so much that I even screamed in silence since everyone is now sleeping and I can’t make any noise. How much more if we played this in school? I would definitely pass out from heartache. It was indeed a tragedy for Filipinos. He is indeed our national hero. I can’t imagine putting my life in his shoes. I don’t think I can make all the sacrifices just for the country. He could have chosen a different path for his life, his lover, and his family, yet he chose to help the Filipinos and fight in the best way that he could. He chose the most difficult and unselfish destiny. He was so brave to risk his life with little hope of survival considering the power held by the Spaniards' officials. I don’t blame those women who were attracted to him. I mean, who wouldn’t be? He is a man with honor; he stands for his rights; he knows what he wants and how to get it. He deserves praise and a day for Filipinos to remember him. Actually, every year, the Philippines observes 18 national holidays. Four of these 18 national holidays are designated as "special non-working" days, including Rizal Day on December 30th. Honestly, I didn’t appreciate much of his day until now. I promise to give him the honor and respect that he deserves, especially on his day. A big thanks to this course for allowing me to better understand the life of Rizal, from the day he started to help the nation to the day he decided to give his life to our dear Philippines.
I hope our younger generation will never forget what he did to achieve the freedom that we all share now. His sacrifice is a great message for every Filipino to seek opportunities to help the nation be better and be a united Filipino, lifting up each other for tranquillity, peace, safety, security, and the overall well-being of our nation. May we all be grateful for an independent land and value our worth and identity as true Filipinos, not just by blood but by heart. May our hero serve as the hope that we can do anything for the sake of love and compassion for everybody. And, for the younger generation, may we all be the hope of our land, as Dr. Jose Rizal said.
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