27 June 2013 - The French city of Beausoleil, neighbor to Monaco, honored the Philippine National Hero by naming the biggest hall in its new Cultural Center, the Salle Dr. Jose Rizal (Jose Rizal Hall), in ceremonies last Sunday, June 23.

Beausoleil Mayor Gerard Spinelli led the inauguration ceremonies, which included a short film showing on Rizal, and a reading of Mi Ultimo Adios, in Filipino and in French, by Filipino children. The highlight was the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to the national hero, on which the following lines are written: Que le peuple se libere! Par la culture, le savoir, la connaissance, la maitrise du langage.(That the people may be freed, by culture, knowledge, understanding, and the mastery of languages). The long text also pays tribute to Rizal as a charismatic leader of a revolution which the hero sought without violence, and described his revolutionary mission that of democracy, justice, non-violence, and individual freedoms.  

Also invited to the occasion were Consul General Maria Josefina Ceballos of the Philippine Embassy in France, Philippine Honorary Consul to Monaco Patricia Zobel de Ayala, and Filipino community leaders. The Philippine officials thanked Mayor Spinelli and the people of Beausoleil for the honor bestowed on the entire Filipino nation, and noted that Rizal, who had spent much time in France, was also inspired by the ideals of the French Republic, and the ideas of its great thinkers. They stressed that the gesture paid tribute not just to Dr. Rizal and what he stood for, but also to Beausoleil’s embrace of other cultures and its recognition of the contribution of Filipinos to the city.

In his address, Mayor Spinelli extolled the greatness of Rizal, and said that the values he exemplified and the ideals he fought for made him a hero for all. The Mayor shared that he came to know of Dr. Rizal during a trip to the Philippines, and that he has since become a true admirer of the national hero, whose talents and virtues, according to him, made him a hero to the rest of the world.

The dedication and unveiling ceremonies were preceded earlier in the day by a Barrio Fiesta and Santacruzan event hosted by the Filipino community to celebrate Philippine Independence Day. The activities included a parade through the streets of Beausoleil, in which Mayor Spinelli and city officials, and the Philippine officials, also took part.

Beausoleil is home to many Filipinos, especially those working in nearby Monaco. Mayor Spinelli has come to be regarded as a very good friend of the Filipino community and this recent initiative of the Mayor’s office has made the links between the city and the Filipino community even stronger. END