Rizal Day and the Mabin Heritage: Leaders Who Chose to Die for Their Beliefs

As Rizal Day approaches on December 30th, it holds more than just a holiday significance for the Filipino people. However, for many, it is merely an opportunity for a day off, with limited time to reflect deeply on the figure from centuries ago. Yet, in fact, this day might be the most important moment to understand the challenges facing today’s Philippines.

Why is it valuable to consider Rizal Day and Mabin Day as part of the legacy of revolutionary leaders of their time? Because their decisions reflect not just historical events, but also issues of individual choice and responsibility in modern society.

The Cost of Upholding Ideals

In the early hours of December 1896, at the execution site in Manila, Jose Rizal displayed remarkable composure. He was a person who rejected violent revolution and sought peaceful reform. Nevertheless, he accepted a violent death to defend his beliefs.

Andres Bonifacio, leader of Katipunan, encouraged him to participate in the revolution. There were also offers to rescue him from exile in Dapitan. But Rizal refused. His reasons were clear: he believed that an uprising without sufficient preparation would only lead to unnecessary bloodshed.

In his declaration written on December 15, Rizal openly condemned the uprising: “This rebellion dishonors us Filipinos. I despise its criminal methods. I sincerely pity those who were deceived into participating.”

Reform or revolution—this dilemma has been debated since the era of Mabin Day. Contemporary leaders like Mabin himself faced similar difficult choices.

What Propaganda Created

Interestingly, despite Rizal’s desire for change through reform, his writings and activities produced unexpected results. Rizal, who long believed in assimilation with Spain, realized the fragility of that dream through the land conflict in Calamba in 1887. In a letter to Blumentritt, he admitted: “It was a mistake for Filipinos to desire Spanishization.”

Historian Renato Constantino analyzes how Rizal’s “propaganda movement” paved the way for independence. His initial goal of promoting assimilation with Spain transformed into a clear growth of national consciousness. Rizal himself may have been “consciousness without movement,” but that consciousness inspired the revolution.

Unity Born After Death

The execution on December 30, 1896, was not merely the end of an individual. It unified the scattered independence movement and provided moral grounds for revolution. Even without Rizal, an uprising would have occurred, but it would likely have been more fragmented and inconsistent.

Historian Ambeth Ocampo describes Rizal as a “conscious hero,” because he fully recognized the consequences of his decisions and deliberately chose the path to death. Even just before his execution, his pulse was reportedly normal. In a letter from 1882, Rizal himself stated: “I want to show those who deny our patriotism that we are capable of dying for our beliefs.”

Lessons for the Present

Under American colonial rule, Rizal was canonized, seen as more “moderate” compared to Aguinaldo and Bonifacio. However, looking at the subsequent course of the Philippines, Rizal’s legacy does not require official recognition.

What is important is not to deify Rizal but to understand him as a human being. How did he uphold his beliefs? Which parts of his choices remain relevant today?

Constantino states in ‘Our Mission: Making Rizal Obsolete’ that as long as corruption and injustice exist, Rizal’s example remains pertinent. Only when genuine reform is achieved will heroic symbols like him become unnecessary.

Through Rizal Day on December 30th and Mabin Day, the question posed to Filipinos is simple: Can we, living in the modern age, uphold our beliefs like Rizal in the face of corruption and injustice? If dying is not the prescription for patriotism, perhaps living while continuously defending our ideals is the most enduring legacy.