08 January 2015 - The City of Carson, in cooperation with the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Monument Movement (JPRMM), Kalayaan, Incorporated and the Knights of Rizal, commemorated the 2nd Annual Rizal Day and the 118th anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal with a wreath-laying ceremony on December 29, 2014 at the International Sculpture Garden, City of Carson, California.
The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, led by Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim, and the City Council of Carson, led by Mayor Pro Tem Elito Santarina, laid their respective wreaths at the foot of the Rizal Monument.
In December 2013, the City of Carson approved and adopted Resolution No. 13-121 declaring December 30 of every year for the City of Carson, California – “A day of honoring and remembering Rizal for the ideals of liberty, equality and justice, and for the noble principles he advocated which may serve to inspire people to become good citizens.” This Resolution bolsters the significance of the statue of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the first edifice that stands in the Carson International Sculpture Garden dedicated to statesmen around the world who fostered the ideals of democracy and freedom. With this gesture of remembering the martyrdom of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, peoples of any ethnicity, color, race or national origin will be inspired and give life to patriotism, civic concern, and heroic devotion to liberty, honor and justice-values that Dr. Rizal advocated for the genuine development and prosperity of all persons.
The event was participated in by leaders of the various Filipino-American associations in Southern California. The program included invocation by JPRMM Vice Chair Antero Pagunsan, and welcome remarks by JPRMM Chairman Chito Mandap. Consul General Herrera-Lim and Mayor Pro Tem Santarina delivered brief messages recognizing the event and extolling the teachings and values of Dr. Rizal as they relate to Filipino culture in America. Mayor Po Tem Santarina also read the complete text of City Proclamation commemorating December 30, 2014 as Dr. Jose Rizal Day in that city.
The Rizal Monument, with the statue standing at eight feet on top of a seven-foot granite pedestal, was unveiled in September 2012 and is the first monument to be installed in the International Sculpture Garden of Carson. END