An Intimate Ceremony of Remembrance of Rizal’s Birth at Hibiya Park in Tokyo
In an intimate ceremony of remembrance, the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo commemorated the birth of national hero Jose Rizal on 19 June in a wreath laying event in Hibiya Park where a bust of Rizal stands.
Deputy Chief of Mission leads the wreath laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument in Hibiya Park and shares a brief reflection on the life of Jose Rizal.
After the wreath laying, officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo reflected on the poetic lament of Elias at the end of Noli Me Tangere and at the intensity of the longing of Rizal and his generation for freedom that “drove them to accept death without the certainty of remembrance”. As Elias said, “Mamamatay akong hindi nakitang sumilay ang bukang liwayway sa aking bayan! Kayong makakikita, salubungin siya…Huwag ninyong lilimutin ang mga nabuwal sa dilim ng gabi!” Deputy Chief of Mission Eduardo Menez exhorted the Embassy officers and staff to live up to the ideals of Rizal, and to build upon his legacy even in small ways in order to forge and strengthen a country that Filipinos will continue to cherish for generations. END
Photo Credit: Mr. Mark Akim
