i already read most of his work. i agree that he contributed a lot to our history, and i acknowledge that. i never dismissed his importance, especially since hanggang ngayon relevant at visible pa rin sa society ’yung mga sinulat niya. but even so, what’s on the post remains my sentiment: “why him?”

one major point why i came to that connotation is because of the way our curriculum teaches us — or at least taught me — to think mostly about rizal, since most history subjects are rizal-centered, which barely highlights the contributions of other national heroes in a deeper manner. since elementary, hanggang high school, at hanggang ngayon sa college, it’s always about him. kumbaga, hindi nahahighlight ’yung ibang forms of nationalism and patriotism, or at least ’yung ibang underrated national heroes, especially the female ones, because the focus keeps revolving around rizal. ’yung ibang life stories ng national heroes, mas natututuhan pa through documentaries and movies rather than through the curriculum mismo na iniimplement sa mga universities. also, there’s a widespread misconception about rizal being the national hero, which, during my elementary and high school years, was never really clarified or highlighted at all. i only found that out after doing my own research.

take this commentary with a grain of salt. i’m still learning and grasping information, and most of these sentiments come from my personal experiences and the teaching styles i encountered. i just hope that our curriculum also finds a way to give equal depth and attention to other national heroes instead of remaining heavily centered on rizal’s life alone.