RIZAL INTERACTIVE
Test your knowledge

Then & Now · Six comparisons

Old questions.
New contexts.

A constitutional commitment is not proof of its implementation. Compare the past with the present carefully, then ask what evidence you would need to judge the difference.

6 topicsConstitutional textNo outcome statistics asserted
Entrance to Manila’s walled city, photograph cataloged circa 1899
Entrance to the walled city near the Pasig River, cataloged circa 1899. It postdates Rizal’s death. J. D. Cress, c. 1899. Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-60796. No known restrictions.

Continuity is
not sameness.

The Philippines is now a sovereign republic with constitutional protections and democratic institutions. Those differences matter. A novel’s portrayal of colonial power can begin an investigation; it cannot establish how well institutions work today.

Power & accountability

How would you test whether an institution is accountable?

Then · historical or literary context

The novels portray officials and friars whose influence can shield wrongdoing.

Read the source ↗

Now · constitutional framework

The 1987 Constitution describes public office as a public trust (Art. XI, sec. 1).

Read the source ↗

Keep the difference in view

A democratic constitutional duty differs from colonial subjection; a written safeguard does not prove consistent enforcement.

A question for today

How would you test whether an institution is accountable?

Develop your answer ↗

Education & opportunity

Who might still be excluded by a policy that appears equal?

Then · historical or literary context

Ibarra’s school proposal links learning to collective improvement.

Read the source ↗

Now · constitutional framework

The Constitution recognizes the right to quality education and calls for accessibility (Art. XIV, sec. 1).

Read the source ↗

Keep the difference in view

Today’s right provides a different legal starting point. Compare access using evidence, not an assumption that nothing changed.

A question for today

Who might still be excluded by a policy that appears equal?

Develop your answer ↗

Social inequality

What evidence would establish who benefits from a reform?

Then · historical or literary context

Kabesang Tales’s story explores land, dispossession, and unequal power.

Read the source ↗

Now · constitutional framework

Social justice is a constitutional commitment (Art. II, sec. 10).

Read the source ↗

Keep the difference in view

A fictional colonial land dispute cannot stand in for current data on wealth or land ownership.

A question for today

What evidence would establish who benefits from a reform?

Develop your answer ↗

National identity & participation

What local issue could you work on with others?

Then · historical or literary context

La Liga Filipina connected mutual help with social improvement.

Read the source ↗

Now · constitutional framework

The Constitution recognizes the role of people’s organizations (Art. XIII, secs. 15–16).

Read the source ↗

Keep the difference in view

Independent civic participation operates within a sovereign republic, unlike organizing under colonial government.

A question for today

What local issue could you work on with others?

Develop your answer ↗

Freedom of expression

How can a critical claim remain responsible to its evidence?

Then · historical or literary context

Rizal’s writing challenged colonial authority through criticism and fiction.

Read the source ↗

Now · constitutional framework

Speech, expression, and press receive constitutional protection (Art. III, sec. 4).

Read the source ↗

Keep the difference in view

Constitutional rights and remedies are a major institutional difference. This comparison makes no claim that present conditions equal colonial censorship.

A question for today

How can a critical claim remain responsible to its evidence?

Develop your answer ↗

Reform & social change

When should a strategy change, and who bears its costs?

Then · historical or literary context

Ibarra and Simoun embody conflicting strategies for change.

Read the source ↗

Now · constitutional framework

The Constitution provides for participation, elections, and amendment (Arts. V and XVII).

Read the source ↗

Keep the difference in view

A novel’s moral experiment is not a policy manual. Evaluate modern strategies by their context and effects.

A question for today

When should a strategy change, and who bears its costs?

Develop your answer ↗

“Now” describes the constitutional framework, not a measurement of its implementation. No current prevalence or outcome statistics are asserted. Legal text was checked for this project on November 9, 2026.

Compare interactively

The interactive version presents the same six comparisons with filters and links into the Reflection Center.

Open Then & Now ↗