07 January 2015 – Philippine Ambassador to China Erlinda F. Basilio led the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Beijing and special guests in paying tribute to Dr. Jose Rizal on December 30, 2014, in commemoration of the 118th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Philippine national hero.
Special guests who were present during the commemoration were Peking University’s Dean of the Department of Southeast Asian Studies Dr. Wu Jiewei, Philippine Studies Section Director Professor Shi Yang, faculty member Dr. Huang Yi, and Chinese students taking up Philippine Studies. They were joined by the Embassy’s friends from China Radio International (CRI) and some Filipino students in Beijing.
Highlights of the commemoration included a reading of Dr. Rizal’s seminal work “Huling Paalam” by Ambassador Basilio, Embassy personnel and guests and the inscription on a special scroll of “Huling Paalam.” Henceforth, guests of the Sentro Rizal, which the Embassy hopes to inaugurate in 2015, will be requested to inscribe in their own handwriting on the special scroll some lines from Dr. Rizal’s works. It is hoped that this Pagsulat-Kamay project will result in a collection of hand-scripted scrolls that will form part of a future Rizaliana shelf/section at the Sentro Rizal.
The Embassy’s tribute to Dr. Rizal began with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and a floral offering at the bust of Dr. Rizal by the Ambassador.
In her welcome remarks, Ambassador Basilio extolled Dr. Rizal as a shining example of a renaissance man that all Filipinos should aspire to be, and a patriot against whom Filipinos measure their own love of country. The Ambassador exhorted the audience to join her in wishing that the New Year brings the peace, unity and harmony that Dr. Rizal hoped for the Philippines and the Filipino people.
Following a photo opportunity by the bust of Dr. Rizal, the attendees enjoyed a Filipino breakfast of daing na bangus, sinangag, itlog na maalat at kamatis, tocino and mainit na tsokolate. END