Tomorrow, our nation will mark the 164th birthday of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. As in the past, discussions will center on the topic of whether or not Dr. Rizal is still relevant today, and, if yes, what can the youth of today learn from the example he left.

People started asking me those questions since I was governor of Rizal Province. It appears there is an expectation that the person at the helm of the province named after Dr. Rizal should know much about him.

I am not an expert on matters about the national hero, but I am a self-confessed fan. I have often told people that if I had actively pursued a career in medicine, I would have chosen to specialize in ophthalmology. The inspiration behind that decision was Dr. Rizal – the multi-talented Filipino who operated on his mother’s eyes and restored her sight.

Being a fan, I will always defend the timeless relevance of our national hero. When asked what I admire most about him, I would always name his three outstanding qualities not often mentioned in articles written about him.

These qualities are: first, being an ardent reader; second, despite his family’s stature in society, he worked with his hands; and third, he made it a habit to triumph over adversity.

I recall reading articles authored by Rizal scholar Esteban de Ocampo and historian Ambeth Ocampo. They both attest that our national hero was an incurable fan of written works by some of the world’s best-known authors. According to them, among the late hero’s favorites were the popular novels The Three Musketeers, The Count of Montecristo, and Robinson Crusoe. In a way, the main characters in these novels were the “superheroes” of his time.

I believe that the major characters in those novels had a major influence on Dr. Rizal.

He must have been inspired by the adventurous, swashbuckling spirit of these characters. Those who have read these novels would also recall that their authors emphasized the classic battles between good and evil, between the oppressed and their oppressors.

Is it possible that his appetite for the classics and his reading habits must have trained Dr. Rizal’s mind to be creative and imaginative? My answer: yes.

There are many articles in medical journals written by child psychologists that underscore that “imagination, is important in human development.” “It is what brings about so-called “critical thinking” and “creative problem-solving skills,” child psychologists say. These refer to a person’s abilities to see and examine all sides of a situation and to think out of the box as one searches for solutions.

It is interesting that these two skills – critical thinking and creative problem-solving – are among the capabilities that often land on the list of vital 21st-century skills. Dr. Rizal developed and honed them in the 18th century. They matter today more than ever.

It should also be pointed out that the superb intellect of our national hero did not stop him from also using his hands to create. We know that he painted. He sculpted. He planted. He did carpentry. He knew how to do blue-collar work as shown by the masterfully-built center of Dapitan City. Dr. Rizal created the master plan and took part in its implementation through hard, manual labor.

This sterling example shown by our national hero is relevant to this very day. He taught us that working with one’s hands is good for the mind, body, and soul. The hands are the tools used by the mind to create. If we are to raise future generations of resilient and strong Filipinos, we will have to teach and inspire our children to work with their hands.

Of course, there are other benefits to this. That it is good exercise for the body needs no further explanation.

There is one more benefit: working with one’s hands is good for the soul. It helps one to remain humble, to stay attached to the earth, and to prefer simplicity over extravagance.

Finally, Dr. Rizal displayed the habit of overcoming the blows that life deals with. Dr. Rizal had to face a lot. History tells us that his mother was unjustly charged and imprisoned. He, himself, was maligned, vilified, and subjected to an unfair trial which led him to his death in the fields of Bagumbayan. None of these stopped him from bringing the strength of his character and spirit and the brilliance of his mind from coming into full display. Adversities did not break him. They merely opened the door for him to bring out his best.

I encourage our youth to revisit the life of Dr. Rizal and to appreciate those aspects of his character and his life which made him one of the greatest Filipinos, and why he deserves to be our national hero. We are sure our children will not be disappointed by what they will discover.

I encourage parents to do the same. I assure them, that the examples of Dr. Rizal’s life and character remain relevant today.