Rizal
I used to despise him - until I read his works. Well, I didn’t really despise him - it’s just that I grew up thinking Bonifacio did all the work and Rizal got all the credit. Apparently, that wasn’t how it really happened. I learned to appreciate Rizal more after becoming exposed to Noli and Fili, and along the way learning more about him. I think they should start Rizal studies earlier - we don’t discuss much of our national hero’s life early on. Noli and Fili is perfect for high school and college but instilling or inspiring nationalism at an earlier level could also do this country a lot of good. :)