On 27 December 2024, the Philippine Embassy led by His Excellency, Ambassador Antonio Morales, hosted the commemoration of the 128th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Philippine national hero, Dr Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal. The event started with the flag-raising followed by the traditional wreath-laying ceremony led by the Philippine Ambassador Antonio Morales followed by the Knights of the Order of Rizal, then Kababaihang Rizalista Inc Canberra Chapter, the defence and military officers and scholars, members of the Filipino community, and finally, the officers and staff members of the Philippine Embassy and attached offices. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Rizal sa Bagong Pilipinas: Buhay at Aral, Aming Nilalandas”.
Ambassador Morales, who presented his credentials as Philippine Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn only recently on 4 December 2024, led the trio of speakers. Ambassador Morales said that the celebration reminds us of ‘”Rizal’s vision of a just, humane, progressive and inclusive society (which) is a goal that resonates deeply with every Filipino”. He said that just as Rizal urged the people to work together for the collective good, it is his hope that the spirit of bayanihan (community spirit) be practiced whether here in Australia or in the Philippines.
Ambassador Morales said that for “Filipinos living abroad, Rizal’s life carries an even deeper resonance” for Rizal himself was exiled from his homeland for much of his life. He said that Rizal channeled his longing for the motherland into works that united the Filipinos. In the same way, Ambassador Morales expressed the hope that Filipino-Australians would use every opportunity to share the richness of Philippine culture and contribute meaningfully to the Australian society which Fil-Aussies now call home.
Sir Norman Kalagayan, Knights of Rizal Canberra Chapter Commander, also focused on this year’s theme. He said that among the important “aral” (lessons) embodied in Rizal’s life was “to emancipate the Filipino from corruption”. He considers that the root of corruption, during Rizal’s time and even to this day, is the “lack of national sentiment”. He welcomed the knighting of new members of KOR Canberra, Sir Paul Tanada, Sir Ronan Adler Delima and Sir Pee Jay Esteban, who were present with us to attend for the first time the commemoration of Rizal’s martyrdom as Knights of Rizal.
I, in my capacity as President of Kababaihang Rizalista Inc (KRI) Canberra Chapter, was the last speaker. In previous Rizal celebrations over the last three years, I had spoken about: (1) Rizal’s relevance in today’s society; (2) how KRI members could be instrumental in propagating the values and principles of the national hero; and (3) last year, I spoke about Rizal’s intellectual brilliance and how his literary prowess impacted the fight for freedom and independence in the Philippines.
For this year’s celebration, I decided to focus on what happened to Rizal when he returned to the Philippines (in 1892) from his time in Europe. While in Europe, Rizal was an active voice in the Propaganda Movement calling for political and educational reforms in the Philippines, and he also published his most famous and powerful novels. It was in Berlin, Germany, where Noli Me Tangere was published in 1887 and in Ghent, Belgium where he published El Filibusterismo in 1891.
I brought the audience on a historical journey on how the Spanish colonial government steamrolled the trial of Jose Rizal on 26 December 1896 on charges of rebellion and sedition because of his reported association with the Philippine revolutionary movement. I spoke about how Rizal’s unjust execution, just four days after his military trial, was not, in the end, in vain. When the Spanish rule ended in 1898, Rizal’s heroism was celebrated, and rightly so.
In ending my remarks, I stated that Filipinos in the country and abroad, continue to celebrate 30 December as Rizal Day and that this solemn occasion serves as a poignant reminder of Rizal’s ultimate sacrifice for the country’s fight for freedom, It is a day of reflection and reverence, a time for Filipinos to honour his courage and his legacy, which continues to inspire people around the world in their pursuit of national unity, freedom, justice and social progress.
The event ended with a sumptuous lunch catered by Lady Hazel Aguilar-Membrere of KRI Canberra.
