'Till We Meet Again

ni Keannah Samantha Ceradoy

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It breaks my heart whenever I come across pictures or videos of soldiers leaving their family to prepare for war. It breaks my heart because there is no assurance that the family will still have the chance to see and hug the soldier one last time. As for the soldier, it is his family that keeps him strong and motivates and inspires him to fight for his country and come back alive so as to see them once again.

In the 19th Century Philippine context, Dr. Jose Rizal is pretty much like the soldier - the one who bravely fought for his family. While the family whom Dr. Jose Rizal left and fought for, are the Filipinos and the Philippines.

They say the victorious wars are the wars where no blood was shed. The aforementioned statement shows how Dr. Jose Rizal fought for his people and his country.

Through his famous works, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, he ignited the spirit of nationalism within Filipinos. He inspired them to fight for what truly belongs to the Filipinos.

With his initiatives, he became a key ingredient in the success of the Filipinos in achieving the independence of our beloved country, the Philippines. It was never easy for Dr. Jose Rizal, he faced the consequences of his own doing. He was scared but he wholeheartedly accepted his fate. He died for his country and for his fellow Filipinos, and because of that he became a hero whom we look up to. Even if Dr. Jose Rizal did not come back after the war he fought, his family would always remember his bravery and undying love.

With everything that is happening in the country, are the Filipinos and the Philippines still worth fighting for? The answer? Always.