07 January 2015 - The Philippine Consulate General in Agana commemorated the 118th Death Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal with the officers and members of the Laguna Association of Guam at the Official Residence of Consul General Marciano R. de Borja on 30 December 2014.
The commemoration started with a flag raising ceremony, followed by a wreath laying ceremony. Consul Mark Francis Hamoy, who comes from Dapitan, where Dr. Jose Rizal was banished by the Spanish colonial authorities, delivered a short message about the national hero’s life while in exile. Ms. Aida Miranda, adviser of the Laguna Association of Guam, read the message of their President, Mr. Joepeter Gacutan, who unfortunately was off the island and could not attend the event. In his message, Mr. Gacutan exhorted parents to continue inculcating in their children the principles and ideals of Dr. Jose Rizal especially in this modern age.
In his message, Consul General de Borja shared his thoughts on Rizal and how he was widely admired by his contemporaries and by Filipino revolutionary leaders. He noted that Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree recognizing Rizal as a national hero which actually predates a similar declaration issued by then American Governor-General William Howard Taft. As he shared his thoughts on the life of Rizal, the Consul General reminded everyone present to be discerning and not too credulous when it comes to how our heroes are depicted in modern art forms such as in film and television as some of these interpretations use too much artistic license and may no longer be historically accurate.
Following the wreathlaying ceremony, Consul General de Borja invited everyone present to partake of a traditional Filipino breakfast. END