04 January 2016 – The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu led activities in honor of the 119th anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose P. Rizal at the Philippine Consulate General grounds and at the Dr. Jose P. Rizal monument in Liliha, Chinatown in Honolulu.
The first activity was a flag-raising ceremony at the PCG Rizal bust, which was attended by members of the Knights of Rizal, Hawaii Chapter, members of the PCG officers, staff and the public. Philippine Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin led the flag-raising ceremony. The Knights of Rizal were led by Professor Raymund Liongson, KOR Area Commander, Western (Hawaii, USA).
After the flag-raising, the Consulate General officers and Knights of Rizal members placed leis on the bust of the Philippine national hero.
In her speech, Consul General Jamoralin reminded the audience of the importance of Dr. Rizal’s martyrdom, that sparked the Philippine Revolution. She also remarked that it is very important for youth to take to heart the ideals and principles of Dr. Rizal.
Professor Liongson said that the very letters of Dr. Rizal’s name tells us what the Philippine national hero stood for. He said that J stands for Justice, P for Peace, R for Respect, I for Integrity, Z for Zeal, A for Audacity and L for Love and Loyalty.
The public were treated to a Filipino, Rizal-inspired breakfast after the ceremony at the Consulate General.
Consul General Jamoralin then led a smaller group to the Rizal shrine in Liliha, Chinatown, where they laid flowers at the foot of the Rizal statue’s pedestal.
In the evening, the Knights of Rizal held a conferment ceremony and program at the PCG lanai. The celebration was highlighted by a lecture-discussion on Rizal’s “Letter to the Young Women of Malolos” by Dr. Belinda Aquino, professor emeritus at the University of Hawaii.
The Consulate General’s celebration of the 119th anniversary of Dr. Rizal’s martyrdom was also featured in a special issue published by the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle.END