Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, known as Jose Rizal, the greatest hero of the Philippines was indeed the pride of Malayan race. He is also known as a many-splendored genius. He was richly dowered by God with superb intellectual, moral, and physical qualities.
He was an anthropologist, botanist, businessman, cartographer, dramatist, economist, educator, engineer, essayist, entomologist, ethnologist, farmer, folklorist, geographer, grammarian, historian, horticulturist, humorist, lexicographer, linguist, musician, novelist, painter, physician, poet, philologist, philosopher, polemist, psychologist, satirist, sculptor, sportsman, sociologist, surveyor, traveler, and zoologist. Dr. Rizal was a patriot, hero, and a martyr.
He consecrated his God-given talent, and even sacrificed his own life, for the redemption and welfare of his people. Verily, a man of his heroism and versatility appears but once in the history of any nation. And last one of my observation is Jose Rizal’s moustache, Every person has the right to create their own identity and appearance. Guys grew their moustache for different reasons. Some to show to other people their masculinity, others believe that it is a simple of being “ macho” or attractive, while others just grow moustache without any reason at all.
But for Rizal, his moustache somewhat signifies his rebellion to the present government and he used it as a way to prompt the time when he was already starting to plan some new tactics to use against his enemies. I believe that this is one good way of starting his defiance with the Spaniards, simply by growing moustache on his face. It signified how he tried to change his appearance just to make his silent attack to the Spaniards.
Although others think that it was coward of him to fight the Spaniards by using his pen and not bolos and knives, I still believe that Rizal’s way in admirable and we should thank him for that because in one way or another, he still contributed to the independence and freedom that we experience right now. Rizal’s moustache is already part of his identity, his appearance, and his sincerity to save his country from slavery. His moustache makes his face look so stern, just right for his stern mission for freedom. Rizal won’t be Rizal without his moustache.
I believe in the saying of “ Ang mga tao na may bigote/balbas ay hindi aatras kahit anong mangyari” and I’m proud of having a moustache and a beard. Both novels, the Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and the El Filibusterismo, (The Filibuster or some say The Reign Of Greed) inspired by the patriotic ideals of national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, depict the abuses suffered by the native indios at the hands of Spanish tyrants. El Filibusterismo, the word “ filibustero” wrote Rizal to his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, is very little known in the Philippines. The masses do not know it yet.
