Eufemio O. Agbayani III
Historic Sites Development Officer II
Officials and citizens of Daet, Camarines Norte pose near the first Rizal monument, 30 December 1949
PHILIPPINES FREE PRESS, 28 JANUARY 1950
As we approach Rizal Day, it is worth revisiting how the martyrdom of Jose Rizal, which happened 126 years ago was commemorated by the Filipino people.
Many might have become familiar with the claim that Rizal was made a national hero under American rule. However, Rizal was already being appreciated even while alive. This is shown by how he was made honorary president of the Katipunan. Whether or not he knew and approved of this is still unclear.
On 20 December 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree declaring 30 December a day of national mourning for Rizal and other patriots who died during Spanish rule. Among the activities mandated that day is the flying of the National Flag at half-mast and the closure of government offices.
Decree of President Emilio Aguinaldo declaring 30 December as a day of national mourning, 20 December 1898
PHILIPPINE REVOLUTIONARY RECORDS, NATIONAL LIBRARY OF THE PHILIPPINES
An impressive ceremony was organized in front of what is now the Malolos Cathedral whose convent served as the presidential office. A requiem mass was celebrated in which the priest spoke passionately of Rizal. Outside, a pyramid-shaped temporary catafalque was erected. It was well lit and surrounded by flaglets. The people laid wreaths dedicated not only to Rizal but to the Gomburza, Marcelo H. del Pilar, and other lesser-known heroes.
Although issued in Malolos, Bulacan, the holiday was observed throughout the country, as it was the first time that those who sympathized with Rizal’s legacy could publicly mourn without fear of Spanish reprisal. In Lukban, Tayabas (now Quezon), each house had a flag at half-mast. In Daet, Camarines Norte, the people erected a permanent monument–the first one ever–which fortunately survives to this day and is a source of pride for locals.
Mourning was also observed in Manila whose center was already occupied by the Americans. Reports published in Spanish newspapers noted that on the eve of the anniversary, many houses had black cloths to express mourning. Economic activity in the river and in the ports and on the roads stopped completely, a phenomenon also observed in Iloilo City which had been captured by Filipinos that Christmas. A ceremony was held in Club Filipino in which a bust by Vicente Francisco was unveiled. Music was played and noted writer Cecilio Apostol recited his poem A Rizal to the admiration of those present.
This public expression of mourning hit three birds with one stone: appreciation for the sacrifice made by those who died during the struggle for freedom, an expression of solidarity with fellow Filipinos in the newly independent nation, and an act of allegiance to the revolutionary government headed by Aguinaldo.
Rizal Day would take a different form in the following years. The colonial government revived the holiday on 30 December through Act No. 345 (1 February 1902). As the sole authorized Filipino-centric holiday, our forebears treated it as a national day with a parade, games, a Rizal Day Queen and other festivities which will slowly disappear long after the Second World War.
Today, we continue to commemorate Rizal Day with simpler and more solemn rites. Hopefully, we don’t simply treat it as a time of rest before the busyness of New Year’s Eve. Let us remember the deep meaning it had to the generation that witnessed Rizal’s execution and made it an inspiration to continue fighting for freedom.
Sources:
Ang 30 ñg Diciembre. (1899, January 1). El Heraldo de la Revolucion, p. 5-6.
Carta de Manila. (1899, February 2). Las Provincias, p. 1.
Conner, Eliza Archard. (1899, June 16). The Tagalos’ Hero. Akron daily Democrat, p. 8.
Dia de luto. (1899, February 15). El Imparcial, p. 2.
Guevara, A. M. (1988). History of One of the Initiators of the Filipino Revolution. Manila: National Historical Institute.
Revoltillo. (1899, February 28). El Liberal, p. 4.
Seccion Oficial. (1898, December 25). El Heraldo de la Revolucion, p. 211.
Sta. Maria, F. P. (1986, June 1). Rizal’s Statue That Never Was. Sunday Times Magazine, p. 14.
Un Pueblo. (1899, March 6). Noticiero salmantino, p. 1.