By Homage to the Great F Sionil Jose by Rado Gatchalian I am not sure if it is a coincidence that two Joses have greatly influenced me as a Filipino thinker and patriot: Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal and National Artist for Literature F Sionil Jose. A week after we commemorated the 125th death anniversary of Jose Rizal on 30 Dec 2021, our country has lost another great Filipino and writer, F Sionil Jose, on 06 Jan 2022. I owe a great deal to F Sionil Jose, who is also my fellow Pangasinense, in the way I feel and think for our country. During my younger days, I used to read and collect his articles at the Philippine Star newspaper; I still have kept some and brought with me here in Australia.  If I am known now, among my friends, as “The FILOsopher,” it is because of the influence of these two Joses.  F Sionil Jose’s essays “Why We are Poor” and “Our Place in the Sun” have made a remarkable impact on me. It has influenced me in my lifelong advocacy in promoting un...