Franzes Lalaine G. Cantos

Revisiting the Rizalian Mentality To say that the Rizalian idea about Philippine Education and Philippine Society is not evident today is wrong. Yes, it was still evident, but not all of it. It became harder to visualize it as many things happened and changed. So many things happened over the years, from when Rizal finished writing his novels to when the people finally allowed themselves to be free from the colonizers. Comparing and contrasting Philippine Education and Society now and then, it was the same but different in another sense. Perdon (2016) stated that Rizal firmly believes that progressive education will start the change that we have been longing for in the past until now. This remains a norm as almost all of the good decisions a person can make in his life come from having a good education. However, this norm is being challenged by many economical problems. Moreover, money is the root of it all. Though education has been a lot more modernized than when the first school was established in the Philippines, economic problems outweigh it. Nevertheless, amidst all that, a bigger problem is surfacing: finding the right education to teach Filipinos how to achieve reform. We have yet to achieve a complete reform, a complete shift from what we all wanted to get out of, a blind society. It was stated in The Philippine Star that even though Rizal has written about both the situation of the educated and not educated youth in his novels for us to see the difference, the said reform is not to happen because formal education is not enough. As cliche, as it may sound, education enclosed in the four walls of a classroom is not enough. Real education starts after graduating. However, if what the school teaches children are all book-based, what happens after they finish school? When there is no book to guide them anymore? Another problem arises when finding the right education suitable for every student. This was evident when the pandemic started, and all schools shifted to the new normal way of learning and teaching. Yes, modernization helped a lot as social media became crucial. It became the number one priority to learn and to teach. Collective efforts have been poured in to survive the almost two years of having online classes. Nevertheless, online education is still not the right education, even amidst the pandemic. Rizal firmly believed that the youth must be educated to start the change. This was most evident during the last presidential election. It was one of the most eventful elections up to date. The youth, whomever the candidate they are supporting, knows what each of them is fighting for. This is called collective intelligence. Pante (2020) stated in his article that Rizal emphasized not individualistic intelligence but collective. Because, like during the last Presidential election, the majority voted for one candidate. Their decision led him to the seat of power. This exemplifies how collective efforts can become a source of change or shift, good or bad. Modernization and internalization provided vividness to Rizal’s ideas about Philippine Education and Society, not the opposite. Both of them highlighted the accuracy of Rizal’s words. They have provided evidence of why these ideas remain the norm. Though some of his ideas were erased because of modernization and internalization, many are still present. Chua (2018) stated that social media is one of the tools to further education. The media can stretch its hand to reach people too far away to access education and the youth after graduation. Besides, education is lifelong. People learn constantly. Nobody ever stops learning. However, even though media significantly impacts our globalized world, humans are still the main actors in change. Lina (2021) further reiterated this in his article. He stated that humans, especially the youth, are the primary agents of change. Rizal first highlighted this point, his admiration for the youth, in his poem, A la Juventud Filipina. In his poem, he called the youth “the fair hope of the fatherland.” Nevertheless, education should be one of the priorities for the youth to spark change. Furthermore, the nation is in the palm of the youth’s hand. They can make or break a nation, with education as their backpedal. They can choose their future and accept the consequences of their decisions. Rizal views Philippine Education and Society with youth empowerment as the main reason he created these ideals and ideas. From the start, he has placed his trust in the youth. Youth power has been, and still is, the main reason why the Rizalian mentality remains the norm, even with modernization, internalization, and globalization happening. However, behind all of this, two questions arise. If Rizal’s ideas and ideals remain the norm, why has the society seem not to be thriving? Who has been blocking the youth power? References Chua, M. C. (2018). 9 Rizalian examples for today’s Filipinos. ABS-CBN News Channel. Lina, J. D. (2021). Reflecting on Rizal’s thoughts on how to be prosperous. Manila Bulletin. Pante, M. D. (2020). The social ills Jose Rizal fought against still exist. CNN Philippines. Perdon, R. (2016). Rizals concept of education. Munting Nayon. Rizal’s future today: Jose Rizal’s ideals and their relevance to the youth. (2019). The Philippine Star.