Lorenzana to Pinoys: Emulate Rizal’s love for God, country

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana rallied Filipinos to emulate Dr. Jose Rizal’s love for God, country and humanity, as the nation celebrated the Philippine national hero’s 158th birth anniversary yesterday.

Lorenzana said Rizal dazzled the world with his wisdom and love for learning, bringing great pride to the Malay race as well as uplifting the dignity of Filipinos.

“May his example of love for God, country and humanity inspire us, especially our youth, to courageously protect our country and our identity, serve our fellow Filipinos and sacrifice for the greater good,” Lorenzana said in a statement released by the Department of National Defense (DND).

In the spirit of Rizal’s birthday, the defense chief also called on every Filipino to rally behind the reinstatement of mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program in the private and government school system.

Lorenzana said this is to instill among the country’s youth the values of patriotism, sense of duty and service, discipline and leadership.

“It will better prepare (the youth) to take on challenges that are bigger than themselves, just as Rizal did,” Lorenzana said.

The DND as well as the Armed Forces of the Philipines (AFP) have been actively campaigning for the reinstatement of ROTC that Congress has already passed for all Grades 11 and 12 students.

A number of youth groups aligned with left-leaning organizations are opposing the reimposition of the mandatory training, citing, among other things, past abuses committed by military trainers on student trainees and corruption.

Renewing sense of nationalism

Meanwhile, a man who dressed up like Rizal for the national hero’s 158th birthday yesterday called on the public to renew their sense of nationalism in light of the attacks on the country’s sovereignty.

Clad in a dark European suit usually associated with Rizal, Pedro Antonio Javier posed with his son carrying a facsimile of the Noli Me Tangere in front of Rizal’s statue at Rizal Park yesterday. His son donned a guardia civil attire.

Javier, an engineer by profession and a costume consultant for historical films owing to his passion for dressing up as historical personages, lamented the persistent problem of the lack of nationalism among Filipinos today.

“We lack nationalism and patriotism. When I was young, I used to dream of being in a foreign land, until I realized that God made me a Filipino not by chance, but with a purpose,” Javier said.

“It is our duty to fix the problems we see in our country,” added Javier, a member of the Buhay na Kasaysayan, a Philippine historical reenactment group. He had dressed up as Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio before.

That sense of nationalism is all the more needed today when the Philippine government is cozying up to China at the expense of the country’s interests, according to Javier.

He said he was dismayed hearing about the news of the collision between a Chinese vessel and a boat carrying 22 Filipino fishermen in an alleged hit-and-run incident.

“It is the first time in our history that the government, instead of fighting against foreign oppression, is surrendering to it. I don’t want to dwell deeper for being too political, but as a Filipino, it really is dismaying,” Javier said. – With Marc Jayson Cayabyab