Dr José Rizal is the national hero of the Philippines, celebrated for the powerful ideas and moral leadership that helped ignite the country’s movement for independence. Rather than leading armies or taking up arms, he used his intellect, compassion and pen to challenge injustice and inspire a sense of national identity among Filipinos.

Rizal’s most influential contribution came through his novels Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo. These works exposed the deep social inequalities, corruption and abuses under Spanish colonial rule. By portraying the lived experiences of ordinary Filipinos, his writing awakened a collective awareness and stirred a growing desire for reform. His words gave voice to the frustrations of a people who had long been silenced.

Beyond his literary achievements, Rizal was a physician, scholar and reformist who believed deeply in education, civic responsibility and peaceful change. He advocated tirelessly for equal rights, representation and social progress through the Propaganda Movement and later through La Liga Filipina, an organisation dedicated to uniting Filipinos in the pursuit of peaceful reform. His calm courage and unwavering principles earned him the respect of both friends and adversaries.

Rizal’s execution by the Spanish colonial government on 30 December 1896 marked a turning point in Philippine history. His death transformed him into a martyr and galvanised the Filipino people, strengthening the resolve of the emerging revolution. Today, José Rizal remains a symbol of intellect, integrity and patriotism — a reminder that ideas, when rooted in truth and love for one’s country, can change the course of history.

Rizal’s Connection with the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Rizal and Multatuli

Rizal admired the Dutch writer Eduard Douwes Dekker whose novel “Max Havelaar: Or the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company,” written in 1860 under the pen name Multatuli, made a deep impression on him when he was writing “El Filibusterismo.”

In his letter to Blumentritt dated Dec. 6, 1888, while in London, he wrote “the book by Multatuli that I will send you as soon as I get it, is very interesting. Without a doubt it is superior to my book. But since the author is a Dutchman, his attacks are not as violent as mine. It is more refined and more artistic, but only shows one side of the life of the Dutch in Java.”

The two writers had similar views on the harsh realities of colonialism and wanted to expose them—Dekker on his country’s rule in the East Indies (now Indonesia), Rizal on the Spaniards’ rule in the Philippines. Dekker’s earlier observations about colonialism affirmed Rizal’s own. Max Havelaar tells the story of a Dutchman who fights against corrupt Dutch colonial policies. Similar to Rizal’s character Crisostomo Ibarra/Simoun, Havelaar is an idealistic young man who works for the Dutch colonial administration in Java. Although his Dutch colleagues want him to control the natives and exploit them for their labor, Havelaar would like to reform the system and help them prosper.

Excerpt from the article written by Philippine Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya published at the Philippine Daily Inquirer on 27 July 2023.

Rizal’s Bust in The Hague

A bust monument in The Hague of the Philippines’ national hero, Jose Rizal, was inaugurated by Sir Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya, KGOR on July 4, 2023 at the courtyard of the Embassy of the Philippines. The ceremony was attended by the Knights of Rizal’s (KOR) Supreme Commander, Sir Gerardo V. Calderon, KGCR, as guest of honor, together with Mme. Rena Cristina K. Malaya, M.D.

Ambassador Malaya said that the installation of the Rizal monument – the first-ever in The Netherlands — helps “spread the heroic identity and proud heritage of Filipinos among the Dutch people.”

Order of the Knights of Rizal in the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Utrecth Chapter

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