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THE PHILIPPINES' national hero, the writer José Rizal, was the first intellectual in Southeast Asia to think systematically about social and political issues. In fact, it could be said that Rizal's thoughts about the nature of Filipino colonial society laid the foundations for an original Southeast Asian sociology of colonial society.
Rizal, who was of mixed Chinese descent, was from a prosperous family and able to enroll in the top schools in Manila. His father successfully managed a sugar plantation on a parcel of land leased from the Dominican Order. He attended the Ateneo de Manila University, then studied medicine at the University of Santo Thomas. In 1882, he left for Spain to continue his study of medicine and the humanities at the Universidad Central de Madrid.
Media_1381849735His first novel, Noli Me Tangere, literally Touch Me Not, from the Latin version of the words spoken (according to John 20:17) by Jesus to Mary Magdalene when she recognizes him after his resurrection, was published in 1887, the year Rizal returned to the Philippines. The Noli, as it is affectionately known among Filipinos, portrayed the oppressive conditions of Spanish colonial rule and can be read to this day as an analysis of the problems of Filipino society.
Rizal's second novel, El Filibusterismo (The Revolution), was published in 1891. The Fili speculates on the likelihood and outcome of a revolution against the Spaniards. Rizal's views enraged the Spanish friars and colonial authorities. His parents' property was confiscated and male members of the family were deported to the island of Mindoro, and Rizal himself was exiled to Dapitan, Mindanao, from 1892 to 1896. Accused of inciting Filipinos to revolt in 1896, Rizal was found guilty of sedition and executed by firing squad on December 30, 1896. He was just 35.
Although he lived a tragically short life, he was an original thinker and prolific writer unrivalled by anyone of his generation in the region. Among his works are several poems and essays, three novels, studies on Philippine history, and a Tagalog grammar. His impact extended far beyond the Philippines, where he remains a potent figure to this day, influencing intellectuals throughout Southeast Asia.
