Who the heck is Simoun?

Most of us still remember one of the ‘rituals’ that a 4th year High School must study before he put his infantile foot at the stage to receive his diploma. Whether we like it or not, there is a novel that Filipinos must read as an initiation to enter the tertiary level. It’s Jose Rizal’s ‘El Filibusterismo’.

My voyage through learning the ‘political’ sequel of the romantic ‘Noli Me Tangere’ was not etched in my mind. It was one of the subjects where I don’t think should be included in the secondary education curriculum. You know why? Because, first, it’s boring and second, yeah, it’s really boring.

But anyway, I was able to pass the subject and successfully endured everyday to keep myself alive to read those ‘yawn-inducing’ chapters.




I went on my college and decided to take up Secondary Education.

Years passed and I’m off to my last semester in College.

Hooray for me because I would be having my practice teaching in a private school. I didn’t really know what subject I’d be teaching, all I cared about was that I would start wearing different set of uniforms regardless of what subject and year level they would assign to me.

I didn’t attend the first orientation from my supervisor and just let my co-practicumer inform me about my teaching mission.

I received a text message from her informing that I was assigned to teach 4th year High School students. I was so elated because in some way I could easily relate to them. No visual aids, no baby talk, no crappy nursery songs. (Sorry, but I easily blow a fuse to little kids)

After few days, I went to my mentor who happens to be a Filipino teacher in 4th year. She gave me the list of topics that I should teach in my entire practice for a month. After handing me the paper, I look at it only to find out that I would teach ‘El Filibusterismo’. Darn. I just grinned mordantly.

My mind made some detrimental flashbacks during my high school years. I remembered my teacher, classmates and those boring moments while studying the tale of the disguised Chrisostomo Ibarra from Noli me Tangere, who wants himself to be called Simoun in the sequel. I tried to recall my teacher’s teaching strategies. I couldn’t even remember the whole story.

And you know what feared me the most? I don’t wanna see my students do what I did when I was studying the novel. Sleeping.

But I couldn’t do anything, it was a requirement. Requirement, no backing out if you want to pass the subject.

And so, I headed to the library to study the first few chapters of the book and to prepare for my demonstrations. To my surprise, it became so easy. Way easier than before.

I easily understood the storyline, the symbolisms which Rizal wanted the Filipinos to know during his time, and I realized why it is still included in the High School curriculum, because we also need it in our time. We really do.

After few days of thinking, I grasped the reason why I understood the story easily compared before: Because, I made myself interested about it.

I was assigned to teach three sections. They were all participative and eager to learn. The entire teaching moments with them were fun. In spite of the inevitable noisiness, I got through it because of their respect to me and keenness to discover. They’re smart. Probably smarter than me when I was a teener.

I learned to love them and also learned to love that ‘yawn-inducing’ tale from our national hero.

To Jose Rizal: Dude, you are indeed a genius.

To my El Fili students, you are so lucky. Read more. Internalize it.

To the one who is reading this: Who the heck is Simoun? Read again.