If Rizal were a blogger, what would he have blogged about?

Editor’s Note: The following won first prize in the recently concluded Anvil-PDI Essay Writing Contest to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal. The author is a second year high-school student at St. Paul College Pasig.

“His coming to the world is like the appearance of a rare comet, whose brilliance appears only every other century,” Philippinologist Ferdinand Blumentritt once said of his best friend, Jose Rizal.

I wholeheartedly agree with this, for Rizal’s genius was and is like no other. He lived and wrote with a passionate sense of nationalism that every Filipino should learn from. This man’s fearlessness in expressing his mind and in working to eradicate injustice in his homeland brought about the Philippine Revolution.

I wonder how he would do things now. With so many advancements in technology, I marvel at the prospect of Rizal sharing even more of his fantastic brilliance with the world.

I believe he will impart his knowledge and ideas through the Internet. The question is: “If Rizal were a blogger, what would he have blogged about?”

I imagine Rizal having his own website with hordes of followers and a large and devoted readership. Though his pieces would be mostly critical, I think he will also share principled and meaningful ideas on various subjects since he was a very intelligent man with strong views.

His web posts would be creative, as he was an exceptionally imaginative poet and writer. He would also share informative stories because of his experience as a journalist.

Love of country

And, being nationalistic, his website would probably be one of those culture blogs where he would talk about sociopolitical topics, what it was like to be a Filipino and his great and sacrificing love for his country.

With his amazing gift for writing, Rizal’s blog would surely be an interesting one and anyone who read it would certainly be hooked by riveting discussions and thought-provoking theories and ideas.

He would have hundreds of readers from all over the world, eagerly awaiting each new post.

At the start, Rizal would probably blog about Spanish explorers, kings and generals, the main topics of his early writings.

Then he would write about the consequences of the Spanish occupation and the cruel acts of the wicked friars. He would compose personal accounts, though hidden behind symbolism and fictional narratives like his novel, “Noli Me Tangere.”

Some people had speculated that each character Rizal created actually represented him and he used them as his mouthpieces. He expressed his views and opinions through the individuals he created. He showed the helpless state of the Filipinos under the Spanish rule through the situations in the stories he wrote.

In his blog, Rizal might also post his poems. He had written poetry since he was eight. He might also post poetic tidbits and anecdotes that would reveal his thoughts on significant moments in his life. He would share articles he contributed to the La Solidaridad in Barcelona.

Rizal was an advocate of reform in the Philippines and, in pursuit of political reform, he wrote for the La Solidaridad and founded the La Liga Filipina that led to the founding of the Katipunan.

As a propagandist, Rizal would blog about attaining self-governance in the Philippines through a nonviolent way, as expressed in his famous saying: “The pen is mightier than the sword.” This would be proven true as his blog would reach so many people and help enlighten them.

Just like any blogger

I dare say that Rizal might also write about mundane things today’s bloggers write about. He would talk about his day, the new books he had read, perhaps even what he had for lunch!

I would like to think he would discuss his travels and describe all the beautiful places he had visited, including Spain, Singapore, Colombo (Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon), Paris (France), and so many other places in Europe.

Maybe, he would narrate his encounters with interesting people like Dr. Blumentritt and Antonio Luna. Rizal might even elaborate on his love life, being the romantic that he was. He would recount the experiences he had with different love interests and the numerous women he was linked to in his lifetime, such as Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Rivera, Josephine Bracken and others. He would also express his sadness over breakups, which would surely attract even more readers.

Ultimately though, I think Rizal’s main theme in most of his works would be nationalism. He would blog and write about being a Filipino and his sentiments toward his country and fellow citizens. He would talk about what it really meant to love your country unequivocally.

I am sure, though, that whatever Rizal came up with, he would inspire us by his talent, surprise us by his daring honesty and make our hearts beat with unceasing love for our country.