PH Embassy in London Honors Dr. Jose Rizal on the 123rd Anniversary of His Martyrdom
Chargѐ d’Affaires, a.i. Frank R. Cimafranca offers flowers at the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal. (London PE photo)
LONDON 02 January 2020 –– Chargѐ d’Affaires, a.i. Frank R. Cimafranca led the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in London and special guests in paying tribute to Dr. Jose Rizal on 27 December 2019, in commemoration of the 123rd anniversary of the martyrdom of the Philippine national hero.
Special guests who joined Embassy personnel during the commemoration were the officers from the four chapters of the Order of the Knights of Rizal in the UK and the Ladies of Rizal UK, as well as some members of the Filipino community in London.
A highlight of the commemoration was the screening of the film “Noli Me Tangere”, based on Dr. Jose Rizal’s seminal work of the same title, a digital versatile disc (DVD) copy of which was provided by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). The said adaptation of Rizal’s novel won the Best Picture award during the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards in 1961.
The Embassy’s tribute to Dr. Jose Rizal began with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and a floral offering at the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal by Chargè d’Affairs. In Chargè d’Affairs’ welcome remarks, extolled Rizal as a shining example of a renaissance man that all Filipinos should aspire to be, and a patriot by whom Filipinos measure their own love of country. He expressed the hope that Filipinos continue to take to of Rizal’s messages and apply their significance to their thoughts and aspirations for their country. He urged the audience to always strive to live up to Dr. Rizal’s exemplars of bravery, patriotism and compassion so that the current generation of Filipinos can help bring about the peace, unity and harmony that Rizal hoped for, for the Philippines, for the Filipino people and for the world.
Following a photo opportunity by the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal, the attendees enjoyed a Filipino merienda of chicken arroz caldo, tokwa’t baboy, lumpia, biko and leche flan. END
Chargè d’Affairs Cimafranca, Embassy personnel, and guests in a group photo with the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal. (London PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.londonpe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/pg/PHLinUK or https://twitter.com/philippinesinuk.