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Monday, October 22, 2018


Luneta Park in Manila is one of the most visited places in the
Philippines. It prides itself with many tranquil and lush
gardens with artificial waterfalls and fountains. At night, the
colored lights brighten the milieu and one could see lovers
strolling by the park while others prefer watching the sunset
by the coast of the bay.
Quite a distance from the coast, something stands out in the
surrounds. What else but the grand monument of Dr. Jose
Rizal, the highly respected national hero of the Philippines.
He was born in 1861, learned the alphabet at the age of 2,
graduated with Bachelors degree at age of 16 and finished
his medical degree in Madrid at the age of 23.
Dr. Rizal was a linguist who can speak 20 languages ---
aside from normal dialects. Historians know that he is a born
genius. He is not only a medical doctor but a writer, novelist,
painter, engineer, psychologist, farmer, sculptor and a poet.
Several centuries ago, he was aready considered a revolutionary,
but not by force. He thought that "A pen is mightier than the
sword." Corollary to this, he wrote two novels "Noli Me Tangere"
(in English--Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo.
The two novels were satires contra the rule of Spanish colonisers
during that time. Noli Me Tangere has some sense of humor in

the sense that he caricatured some Spanish characters in an
ingenious way. His novels were so influential that it paved the
way for the revolution led by another hero, Andres Bonifacio.
As a consequence of his threat to the government, he was exiled
in Dapitan, a place in the south of the Philippines. While he was
there, he met the love of his life, Josephine Bracken-- of European
Later, he wrote his poem, Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell). This
poem of about 14 stanzas reflected his great love for his country.
1st stanza of the poem:
Farewell, my dear Fatherland, clime of the sun caressed,
Pearl of the Orient Seas, our Eden lost
I give my life to you, sad and repressed
Were it be more bright, fresh and at its best
I will still give it to you...
Then, he was executed by a firing squad for treason.
Dr. Jose Rizal-- a national hero who embodied the aspirations
of Filipinos' quest for freedom. On December 30, the Philippines
always remember Dr Rizal and other heroes. It is also a fiesta!
C. Abegail

Labels: Philippines Diary

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