Rizal in barong Tagalog /
Noel G. Villaroman.
- 2nd edition.
- xi, 297 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.
Old and new -- Of love and love letters -- Travels and impressions -- A family and a horse -- Touch me not -- The Dapitan episode -- Consummatum est!
"This book Rizal in Barong Tagalog is a collection of more than 55 inquisitive essays about our foremost national hero, Jose Rizal. It reveals fresh insights about the many facets of Rizal's individuality. The reader is given a sampler, so to speak, of Rizal's loves, his fears, his hopes, his faith, his loneliness, his disgust, his happiness, his viewpoints, his moods and reactions. The book's aim is to strip him of the layers of myths and legends surrounding him, and to lay bare his ordinary humanity. Why is it important to imagine Rizal in a Barong Tagalog? More than a century and a language barrier separate Rizal from the present generation of Filipinos. The image of Rizal wearing the familiar Barong Tagalog-a piece of clothing that is uniquely Filipino-produces an instant sense of familiarity and connection. The image is a bridging tool to close the distance that separates us from him. While it is important to remove Rizal's overcoat to reveal the man, it is also important to imagine him wearing the Barong Tagalog-as in fact he did wear it during his lifetime-so that we can identify with him as one of us." -- Back cover.