Rizal's Characteristic from A - Z

A - Architect	·         Rizal is a good architect because of his painting and sketching skills, his knowledge of engineering and mathematics and his love for country. ·         Rizal made the architectural design of the college for young Filipinos which he proposed to establish in Hong Kong.
B – Bibliophile	·         Since early boyhood, Rizal loves books. Reading was his favorite recreation. He read every night before going to sleep. ·         Wherever he lived, he always bought good second – hand books on all subjects and many languages.
C – Charitable	·         During Rizal’s exile in Dapitan, he practiced medicine and cured people without charge.  He also built a school for boys and used his knowledge to educate them at no cost.
D – Diligent	·         Rizal is considered to be a diligent person because he did not waste any time in writing his two novels which contributed to the independence of the Philippines.
E – Ethnologist	·         Rizal got interested in ethnology because he wanted to prove that the colored races, including the Filipinos, are not inferior to the white races. ·         In his Travels, he was able to compare different races and he noted the differences.
F - Farmer	·         In Dapitan, Rizal engaged actively in farming. He said, “We cannot all be doctors; It is necessary that there would be some to cultivate the soil” ·         Rizal bought several pieces of land near Dapitan and he planted different kind of fruits, crops, trees, etc.
G – Genius	·         Rizal, who was born with a big head, became the greatest Filipino genius. ·         He had written accounts with deep meaning that leaves a great impact to the Filipinos.
H – Honorable	·         Rizal is an honorable man because of his character. People respect and love him for his integrity, honesty, and faithfulness. ·         He lived to inspire us and he dedicated his life to make the Philippines a better place.
I – Inventor	·         Rizal invented Sulpakan, a cigarette lighter which he sent as a gift to Blumentritt.
J - Journalist	·         During Rizal’s stay in Spain, he wrote his first article entitled El Amor Patrio which was published in Dyaryong Tagalog.
K - Kind	·         Rizal sacrificed his relationship with Consuelo Ortiga because he didn’t want to destroy his friendship with Eduardo De Lete.
L – Linguist	·         Before Rizal died, he was able to know 22 languages. ·         One or Rizal’s talents was his ability to learn many languages.
M – Musician	·         When he was in Ateneo, he took up special lessons in solfeggio, piano and voice culture. ·         Rizal composed a song entitled Alin Mang Lahi. It was a patriotic song which asserts that any race fights for its freedom.
N – Nationalist	·         Rizal expressed his full love for his country through his writings, orations and by sacrificing his life for the Filipino nation.
O - Ophthalmologist	·         Rizal was also a physician who trained in ophthalmology under 2 prominent European ophthalmologists, Louis de Wecker and Otto Becker. ·         He cured his mother’s failing eyesight.
P – Poet	·         Rizal started to write poems at an early stage.  Rizal wrote over 35 poems including his famous Mi Ultimo Adios.
Q - Quiet	·         Rizal is quiet or has a calm personality because he chose to fight the Spaniards with his thoughts and ideas rather than fighting them with arms and ammunitions. ·         He is also the type of person that talks less but works more.
R – Religious	·         At the age of three, he learned how to pray the angelus and even read the Bible.
S - Sodalist	·         He always joined fraternities, associations and brotherhood, for self-improvement. He founded the organization La Solidaridad.
T - Traveler	·         Rizal loves traveling around the world. ·         He wrote a heart – warming poem entitled El Canto del Viajero (The Song of the Traveler)
U – Unique	·         Rizal is unparalleled and having no like or equal because of his distinctive personalities and skills. Until now our nation has not yet produced a genius that can equal him.
V – Valiant	·         Rizal is valiant because he is brave enough to fight against the Spanish government. He published the wrongdoings of the said government through his two novels.
W – Winsome	·         Rizal was proved to be winsome because great deals of women were falling in love with him. ·         To be exact, 11 women were attracted to his charm.
X – Xylographic	·         Rizal engraved an image of Our Virgin Mary on a piece of batikuling (Philippine wood) with his pocket – knife.
Y - Youth leader	·         He is well thought-out as a youth leader because he is a good model that the youths of today should follow. ·         He considered the youth as "The Hope of The Fatherland."
Z - Zoologist	·         Rizal was fond of pets. Rizal had a dog when he was around 8 - 10 years old. It's a mongrel named "Verguenza" ·         During his stay in Dapitan, he discovered some species of animals.

The Filipino Youths of Today, Will There Be a Bright Tomorrow?

A boy who is six or seven years old approached me when I pass at the Market going home. He was holding an empty cup with some coins in it. After I gave him the three – peso coin, three more dirty boys approached us.

This is a very disheartening experience and it keeps on existing at present.  The youth of the land who are supposed to play a big role for the change of our nation are just around the corner begging. The youth who are referred by Jose Rizal as the “Youth is the Hope of Our Fatherland” are now becoming the plague on society.

In order to affect change they should have the attitude that will help them to do their tasks. However, some youths of today have negative attitudes that causes problem not only to their family but in their environment.

What happened to the Filipino youth? Youth of today, have vices like smoking, drinking alcoholic drink and others. These vices caused them to be unhealthy and for them not to be that fit enough to perform different responsibilities. The youth of today no longer seem to spend their leisure activities like in the olden days; outdoor games or playing with toys, instead, they spend their free time in their homes, internet cafés or computer shops simply to satisfy their hunger; and that hunger is Online Gaming. Many youths lost their way. Some are having a family at a young age; young girls are being pregnant at an early stage.

Despite the difficulties and failures at the moment, despite the trials and frustrations of the present we still believe that one day the youth of today will heed the challenge for a better Philippines. As a youth, change will start on us and by just doing simple things that would not only benefit us but also our community and other people. We should also study hard and live our lives without vices for us to be successful. In our hands, indeed, lies the future of our country.