23 July 2015 - The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney, in cooperation with the Order of the Knights of Rizal (OKOR) and the Rizal Park Movement of Campbelltown, undertook activities to commemorate the 153rd Birth Anniversary of Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, on 19 June 2015.
In the morning of June 19th, a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held at the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal at the Plaza Ibero-Americana in Sydney. Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis, Consul Marford Angeles and Consular Assistant Fidel Simeon joined the officers of the Order of the Knights of Rizal (OKOR) - Sydney Chapter, led by its Commander, Mr. Ralph Posadas, Filipino community leaders, and Philippine media representatives in braving the rains for the ceremony. Mr. Angel Raña, OKOR Regional Commander for Australia, New Zealand and Oceania welcomed the attendees while Mr. Cesar Bartolome, OKOR Area Commander for East Australia, read Rizal’s letter to his sister, Soledad, advising her to always live honorably to honor their parents and the land of their birth.
At noon of the same day, the Rizal Park Movement of Campbelltown (RPMC) headed by Mr. Rey Manoto organized a wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument, Rizal Park in Campbelltown City, NSW. Mr. Manoto spoke on the commitment of RPMC to keep Rizal’s memory alive through activities at the park named after the hero.
In her message at the above events, Consul General Louis lauded the efforts of the OKOR and the RPMC in commemorating Dr. Jose Rizal’s birth and death anniversaries, and expressed hope that they will continue to spread awareness of Rizal’s life, his teachings and his patriotism not only among the members of the Filipino community in NSW, but also within the local community. END