NOW

ni Gheremie Sombilla

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With the onset of the 1880s, nationalism started to blossom within the Filipino students who had settled in Europe. This consciousness laid the foundation for the establishment of the Propaganda Movement. One of the momentous propagandists at the time was no other than Jose Rizal. He became a leader, an eloquent spokesman amongst small communities of Filipino students in the great capital of Spain, Madrid.

It is within this time that he would compose his quintessential feat that would spark the Filipino heart to yearn for independence— his two books, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. It illustrated the years of enduring agony alongside the rule of Spaniards, especially the friars.

He became a symbol, the Mockingjay of reform and change. An awakening led as he enlightened more and more Filipinos around him through his works and the gift of his mind. His eminence that inspired Filipinos has lived on through generations up until now.

As much as we rever and honor him, it is within our moral obligation to speak boldly against those who threaten the prosperity and well-being of our country. A country that is bloodstained with the sacrifices of our heroes and the hardships our ancestors had to endure. So what can we do?

The first thing we must do is to learn. Knowledge is power. Ignorance is a luxury people afford and abuse. Start there. Second is to protest a fight seemingly lost before it even begins but join as much as there is something to join or even start one. Call for a change, start researching alternatives, and abandon hypocrisy. Demand accountability for those in power and position. Be the voice of the voiceless. There is a time for civil disobedience, a time to rebel. With the legacy left with us, let us protect what they died fighting for—freedom.