Ang Kalatas Volume V June 2015 Independence Day Special Edition | Page 22
Understanding Rizal
and our Identity
HISTORIAN and author Dr Floro Quibuyen stresses on Rizal being a
renaissance man and appreciates his view on history that “education never
stops and that we must study the past to predict the future…”
THE Order of the Knights of Rizal Sydney Chapter
conducted last month a series of seminarworkshops on the life of Rizal aimed at promoting
a deeper understanding on the national hero and
the historical development of the Philippines as a
nation.
The project, done in collaboration with the
Philippine Consulate and with the support of the
Tagalog Association of Australia, was the brainchild
of Sir Floro Quibuyen KCR, PhD, a prominent
Philippine Studies scholar and historian.
The seminar was held on separate days at the
Life Changing College in Blacktown.
Dr Floro Quibuyen touched on Rizal being a
renaissance man and Rizal’s view on history that
“education never stops and we study the past
to predict the future.” He explained that “we can
discover and understand our Filipino identity
and heritage by studying our past—going as far
as our pre-historic or pre-Hispanic time—which
constitutes the core of our identity.”
“The other layers that constitute our identity
consists of our historical experience from Spanish
colonial rule to American rule to our post-war
Independence to the present Philippine republic
under the presidency of Noynoy Aquino. Beyond
2015 is our future—which depends on how we
respond to the challenges we face today.”
Dr Quibuyen also discussed episodes and ironies
in Philippine history like the arrival of Magellan and
the encounters and misencounters between the
explorers and natives, including sad tales on the
massacre of natives. Dr Quibuyen also provided
presentations regarding the historical and social
context surrounding Rizal’s two great novels – Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo – putting focus
on the pervading issues of that time against the
backdrop of socio-economic class distinctions and
the haciend