Rizal Pillar of the Nation A genius, a doctor, a writer, a poet, an engineer, a traveller, an economist, an anthropologist, a botanist, these are

just some of the words that best describes a majestic man named Jose Protacio Rizal Alonzo Y Realonda, the pride of the Malayan race. Also known as Pepe, with some pen names like P. Jacinto, Dimas-alang at Laong-laan. Hes just an ordinary man with some gifts, making use of his skills in an extraordinary way. Rizal was born to a rich family in Calamba, Laguna and was the seventh of eleven children. He attended the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, earning a Bachelor of Arts, and enrolled in medicine at the University of Santo Tomas. He continued his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid in Madrid, Spain, earning the degree of Licentiate in Medicine. He also attended the University of Paris and earned a second doctorate at the University of Heidelberg. As a political figure, Jos Rizal was the founder of La Liga Filipina, a civic organization that subsequently gave birth to the Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo. He was a proponent of achieving Philippine self-government peacefully through institutional reform rather than through violent revolution, although he would support "violent means" as a last resort. Rizal was a fighter. As leader of the reform movement of Filipino students in Spain, he contributed essays, allegories, poems, and editorials to the Spanish newspaper La Solidaridad in Barcelona. The core of his writings centers on liberal and progressive ideas of individual rights and freedom; specifically, rights for the Filipino people. He shared the same sentiments with members of the movement: that the Philippines is battling, in Rizal's own words, "a double-faced Goliath"--corrupt friars and bad government. Even though Rizal was a fighter, he fought without blood he just used his pen and wrote novels to wake the nation from its darkest sleep. One of the epic novels he made was Noli me Tangere, in English, touch me not. The Spaniards cruel treatments were exposed. Shaking the hearts of the Filipinos to make a move and wont let the Spanish race to maltreat them and to just step on their rights. El filibusterismo or the reign of greed is the second novel of Rizal and served as the sequel of the first novel Noli, this is a novel of revenge bringing back what is rightly ours and exposing the bad side of the Spaniards that are not countable like sand. Indeed Rizal made a big history and change in our country. He is one of the walls that helped our nation today to stand with freedom and pride. Hes a man who fought for a country worth fighting for, no wonder hes a perfect national hero. Pepe imparted so many lessons and thought optimistically that the Philippines will be someday freed. Today we are experiencing democracy; one of our thanks goes to him. He is exceptional, a martyr! Carla Louise Bayquen IV- Bonifacio