What question did this study set out to answer?

The study examines how José Rizal was transformed into a tool for Japanese wartime agendas and Filipino elite narratives.

April 3, 2026

Remaking Rizal: Propaganda, Agency, and National Identity in the Wartime Philippines

Key Points

The study examines how José Rizal was transformed into a tool for Japanese wartime agendas and Filipino elite narratives.
Analyzed 136 articles from the Tribune published between 1942 and 1945.
Identified two phases of appropriation: orientalization and nationalization.
Explored the implications of these phases on national identity.
Orientalization emphasized Rizal’s connections to Japan, legitimizing the occupation.
Nationalization invoked Rizal’s legacy to promote unity under the Japanese-sponsored regime.
Demonstrated the malleability of national icons in shaping political narratives.

Abstract

How did Japanese occupiers and Filipino elites transform José Rizal into a tool for their wartime agendas? Analyzing 136 articles from the Tribune (1942–1945), I identify two phases of appropriation. “Orientalization” emphasized Rizal’s alleged Japanese connections to legitimize the occupation, while “nationalization” saw Filipino leaders invoke his legacy to foster unity under the Japanese-sponsored Second Republic. Through this analysis, I demonstrate how propaganda, constrained agency, and resistance shaped national identity, revealing how national icons derive power not from fixed meaning but from their malleability across political projects.

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Discussion

Journals

Philippine Studies Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

Institutions

Hiroshima University

References and Citations

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