“That question changed my life.”
Public historian Ambeth Ocampo shared the story of how he became the historian he is known as today.
The historian on Tuesday, January 21, posted pictures of him in Rizal Park, where the famous monument of the national hero stands, and recounted his journey into the field of history.
“How I became a historian. ‘Why is Rizal wearing a heavy winter overcoat in the tropics?'” he wrote on Facebook.
“That was the question my father asked on my first trip to Luneta or Rizal Park. That question changed my life,” Ocampo said.
“In retrospect, father was just being silly, but his question probably formed me into the curious Public Historian I am today,” he added.
“Early in life, I learned to see the world differently, always from a different angle, and my method has always been to LOOK CLOSELY, CONNECT BROADLY, THINK CRITICALLY and EXPRESS myself CLEARLY and, if possible, with HUMOR,” the historian said.
Ocampo shared that a question he asked his father earlier “gave rise” to the research and writing of his famous book “Rizal Without the Overcoat”, in which he uncovers the man behind the glorified hero.
“Rizal Without the Overcoat” is a collection of Ocampo’s essays from his newspaper column, “Looking Back,” which originally ran in the Philippine Daily Globe before moving to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The book provides a readable and accessible introduction to Rizal, offering fascinating insights, lively anecdotes, academic depth and little-known facts about the hero as a human.
In it, Ocampo attempts to strip the myths and rumors surrounding the national hero as he investigates the historical figure’s writings, from diaries, letters and other papers.
The historian is recognized as an expert on Rizal’s life. His research focuses on the late nineteenth-century Philippines, particularly in the areas of art, culture, and the heroes who played a pivotal role in the nation’s birth.
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