DR. SERAFIN D. QUIASON

We deeply mourn the passing of our beloved Dr. Serafin D. Quiason, former Chairman of NHCP.

Dr. Quiason had been National Library director (and as such, Ex-officio member of the NHI Board) and history professor when he was named Acting Chairman of the NHI in 1981. He became chairman in 1982, serving thus until 1996.

Chairman Quiason sustained most of the programs carried out by the previous administration. However, there was an intensification of history research, translation of Spanish and French works on Philippine history, and publication of a large number of new titles, as well as reprints. In the year 1981 alone translation work on 11 Spanish and French works was begun. Biographical research was stepped up resulting in the updating and expansion of the Eminent Filipinos into the Filipinos in History series. Public awareness of the various NHI shrines was given a boost with the publication of numerous brochures. Historical education was likewise bolstered with the popular History Quiz or Paligsahan sa Kasaysaysan contest, the revival of the Patriotic Tour—the tour of shrines and monuments; and the holding of seminars, conferences, lectures, exhibits, and contests.

Being a priority of Dr. Quiason’s administration, preservation and conservation advanced during his term and resulted in the creation of an architectural and preservation division. Staff training and skills development was strengthened usually through foreign-sponsored programs, wherein NHI staff took turns in training abroad. Knowledge gained was then shared or transferred to fellow NHI staff or other institutions also involved in curatorial preservation, thus benefiting the national heritage program in general.

Reverence for the Philippine Flag as well as the development of Philippine heraldry were hallmarks of the Quiason agenda. It was during his term that the groundwork was initiated for the drafting and passage of a Flag Law.

The debating and resolution of historical conflicts and controversies which most probably began with the issue of Rizal’s retraction during the era of the JRNCC, and continued during the term of Chairman Nakpil with the issue of the originality of historical play La Loba Negra, as well as the First Cry of Revolution during Prof. De Ocampo’s time, resurfaced during Dr. Quiason’s administration with the issue of the First Mass in the Philippines. This was resolved by way of a Round Table Conference held in 1996, which was presided over by a panel headed by Justice Emilio Gancayco.

Dr. Quiason’s other outstanding legacies are the erection of the NHI building, completed in 1994, the NHI annex building and the Museum of Philippine History.

The Batangas and Laguna cluster of museums of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines: the Museo ni Jose Rizal, Calamba City, Laguna; Museo ni Miguel Malvar, Sto. Tomas, Batangas; Museo nina Marcela Mariño at Felipe Agoncillo, Taal, Batangas; and Museo nina Leon at Galicano Apacible, Taal, Batangas are launching a 30-minute short film competition on the life, times, and valorous deeds of Rizal, Mabini, the  Apacible brothers, and the Agoncillo family.  The competition entitled “Mga Bayani sa Pinilakang Tabing” will open on 16 August 2016, 2:00 p.m. at the Museo ni Jose Rizal, Calamba City, Laguna.

The competition encourages cineastes to creatively portray the character of these Filipino heroes on film using their handy cams or video functions of their mobile phones. Interested participants may register online (http://goo.gl/forms/AYNXGlLKi1ic9rae2) and finished videos must be uploaded to the Facebook pages of the participating NHCP museums. The video that gains the most likes and shares from viewers will be declared the winner.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines is the government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research and publications, and preserve the nation’s historical heritage through conservation, and the marking of historic sites and structures.

QUEZON CITY– The nation will commemorate the 138^th Birth Anniversary of the President of the Philippine Commonwealth and “Ama ng Wikang Pambansa,” Manuel Luis Quezon on 19 August 2016.

The day is a special working holiday throughout the entire nation and a special non-working public holiday in the provinces of Quezon, Aurora and in Quezon City as provided for under RA 6741 dated 4 August 1989.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines Chair Maria Serena I. Diokno, Quezon City Mayor Herbert M. Bautista, Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Mr. Enrique Quezon Avanceña, grandson of the late Pres. Manuel Luis Quezon will lead in the simple commemorative rites program at 8:00 a.m. at the Museo ni Manuel Quezon, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City.

Other wreath-offerors are the officials and representatives from the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, Division of City Schools-Quezon City, Quezon City Police District, Quezon Memorial Circle Administration, Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines, Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Girl Scouts of the Philippines-Quezon City Council, Kaanak ng mga Bayaning Pilipino, Inc., Descendants of Filipino Heroes (1899 Philippine-American War), Knights of Columbus-Padre Gomez Assembly, Knights of Columbus-Quezon City Assembly, Knights of Columbus-Maharlika Assembly, Philippine Red Cross-Quezon City Chapter, Lions Club International, Pugadlawin Philippines, Inc., Inner Wheel Club of the Philippines, Soroptimist International-Metro Manila North East District, and Nacionalista Party.

The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research and publication, and preserve the nation’s historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.

PHOTO GALLERY

BATANGAS – In commemoration of the 152^ndBirth Anniversary of Apolinario Mabini, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in coordination with the Tribung Pilipino Foundation held the Paligsahan sa Kasaysayan on 20 July 2016 at the Dolor Farm House, Lipa City, Batangas.

High school students from the province of Batangas participated in the history quiz.  Questions dealt on the life and works of Apolinario Mabini, Philippine history and culture.

Winners were as follows:  Jasmine Mae M. Panganiban from Dacanlao G. Agoncillo National High School (1^st prize), Elioza Gail M. Gomez from Dacanlao G. Agoncillo National High School (2^nd prize), and Aaron Kristoffer A. Aala from Lucsuhin National High School (3^rd prize).

Tristan Joseph A. Alcantara (St. Bridget College, Batangas City), Czarina Sarah R. De Castro (Batangas Province Science High School), Angelika S. Dimaala (Balayan National High School), and Celine Joanne M. Avena (Balayan National High School) garnered the consolation prizes.

Chairman of the Tribung Pilipino Foundation Mr. Danny L. Dolor welcomed the guests and participants. Mrs. Yorina C. Manalo,Head Teacher III of the Balayan National High School presented the participants while Mr. Danilo A. Barrion, Head Teacher III of the Maabud National High School read the contest mechanics. Ms. Gina C. Batuhan, NHCP Commemoration and Museum Division Chief, served as quizmaster.

The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research and publication, and preserve the nation’s historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.

MANILA – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the  National Council on Disability Affairs, in cooperation with the Department of Education, will lead the conduct of a history quiz dubbed as “Paligsahan ng may K sa Kasaysayan at Kultura ng Pilipinas” on 18 July 2016 at the 4^th Floor of the NHCP Bldg., T.M. Kalaw Ave., Ermita, Manila.

The contest preludes the commemoration of the 152^nd birth anniversary of Apolinario Mabini, the “Brains of the Revolution,” on 23 July 2016 and the observance of the 38^th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week with the theme “Karapatan ng Maykapansanan, Isakatuparan… Now Na!”

The contest, participated by students with disabilities in the secondary level, both from the private and public schools in the National Capital Region, has three groups:  the first group is for the blind and orthopedically handicapped, second group is for the deaf/hearing impaired and the third group is for students with autism.

The winners in the three groups will be awarded cash prizes, certificates and various historical publications of the NHCP.

Guests at the event will be the National Council on Disability Affairs Executive Director Carmen R. Zubiaga; Department of Education, Chief of the Student Inclusion Division Dr. Jose D. Tuguinaya, Jr.; Department of Education-NCR Dr. Jingle L. Sergote, and other officials from NCDA, TESDA and DOT.

The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research and publication, and preserve the nation’s historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.

More than just service vehicles, these cars hold several stories about how Philippines’ top leaders spent their years in power.

Here are Philippines’ presidential cars, remnants of the past that tells two stories, as National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairman Maria Serena Diokno would like to put it.

“One is the obvious one: the story of the car itself—who made it, what was the process of production, things like that, which are of immense interest to car enthusiasts,” she said.

But on the other hand, it also paints the story of the regime of the president who owned it.

“They tell you something about the person who rode in it, who occupied it. For me, it’s a lens. It’s just a lens: through the car, you can tell a story,” said Diokno.

NHCP temporarily houses the most complete collection of presidential limousines in a private warehouse in Pampanga before the vehicles are transferred to their new home at the Quezon City Circle, where a brand new Presidential Car Museum will rise.

They currently have the presidential cars used by Presidents Emilio Aguinaldo, Jose P. Laurel, Elpidio Quirino, Ramon Magsaysay, Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The cars of Presidents Manuel L. Quezon and Manuel Roxas will be joining the pack, soon after they are restored.

However, the collection is missing the cars of Presidents Carlos P. Garcia, Sergio Osmeña, and Diosdado Macapagal. The commission will also soon ask President Benigno Aquino III to add his presidential vehicle.

Motoring journalist Iñigo Roces, who helps the NHCP in their research, said that the preservation of these cars, whose general appearance already show the “art of arrival,” may be reflective of the nostalgia and fascination with the past.

“If you pull up into one of these, it’s like you’re really descending into the red carpet, ready to see a premiere. These vehicles really made in the art of arrival,” he said.

Touring the warehouse, Roces first introduced General Aguinaldo’s car.

Aguinaldo’s massive seven passenger Packard limousine (1924 model), which bears the presidential plate, was acquired after his presidency because Aguinaldo used a horse carriage in 1898.

Roces said Aguinaldo’s Packard “is one of the cars that started” the limousine of today.

“This is one of the precursors to the limousine format as we know it now. There’s a solid divider between the driver and the passengers, which is something that is standard on most American limousines like the Lincoln,” said Roces.

But a simple Jeep stands out among the limousines in the garage, and it is no wonder that it belongs to President Magsaysay who is known to be close to the people.

“In a way, this is very symbolic of his administration—straight to the point, no frills. That’s exactly what this Jeep is,” said Roces.

The Jeep was once owned by General Douglas MacArthur and was given to Magsaysay who was then serving as the Defense Secretary.

When he ascended into the presidency, Magsaysay’s official vehicle also stepped up into a Cadillac.

Roces explained that people of that era were into space travel, which was their new frontier, and the designs of spacecrafts trickled into the design of land vehicles.

“A lot of chrome. People wanted their vehicles shiny. They looked like they can take off. That’s exactly what you have here. You practically got torpedoes on the bumper,” he said.

On the flipside of tales about Magsaysay’s image as the simple president are tales of the ostentatious lives of the Marcoses.

President Marcos had a customized Lincoln Towncar or Continental, which Roces said was one of the most powerful and luxurious then.

The stretch limousine belongs in the Lincoln’s Signature Series, the top of the line from the luxury car brand, said Roces.

“Above the top of the line, you have the special line called the Signature Series. You can actually tell by the interior, where you have the stitching on the seats—that’s the logo of the Signature Series. It’s a special line created for the most discerning clients of Lincoln,” he said.

Though he is known to be closely linked to the Americans, it was Marcos who introduced European brands like Mercedes-Benz to the Malacañang.

First Lady Imelda Marcos herself had a rare Rolls-Royce Phantom 5, the same kind owned by Queen Elizabeth II, the Shah of Iran, Hong Kong’s British governor, and Yugoslavian dictator Josip Broz Tito.

After the Marcoses were removed from power, over the top luxury in Malacanang was taboo, and a utilitarian ethos prevailed in the Palace. Presidential cars became much simpler.

Aquino and Ramos were chauffeured in a no-frills Mercedes-Benz S-Class which carried the presidential plate, while Estrada had a S600 Benz.

Estrada’s vehicle was part of the armored S-Guard series, and was an upgrade in size, comfort, and passenger protection technology form Aquino and Ramos’.

His successor, Arroyo, went one step further literally with a stretch limousine S600 Pullman, which is full 45 centimeters longer than the standard model.

President Rodrigo Duterte is yet to reveal his choice of official vehicle, but has said in an interview before his inauguration that he plans to use his personal pick-up truck as his official presidential vehicle.

This does not come as a surprise to many.

“In a way, the car serves as sort of a projection of what kind of an administration they want to have or what kind of administration they want people to think, and the era they belong to,” said Roces.

“Occupying a prominent spot are four sets of Haec Est Sibylla Cumana, a ‘spin-the-top-and-learn-your-future’ game created by Rizal while on exile”

BUCOLIC Talisay in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, came alive last June 19, the 155th birth anniversary of our National Hero. Julie Lluch’s sculptures—depicting José Rizal as traveler, Rizal and Pio Valenzuela in a huddle, and Josephine Bracken—each strategically located at the sprawling two-hectare Rizal Shrine, were unveiled that afternoon.

The event, organized by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), also saw the inauguration of the modernized Museo ni José Rizal. Its four galleries feature artifacts and interactive exhibits that relive the four long years when Rizal was banished to Dapitan from July 17, 1892, to July 31, 1896. They include his medical and scientific pursuits, his writings and works of art, his memories of Dapitan, and a hologram showing him talking about his last thoughts as he treks the road to martyrdom.

Chair Maria Serena I. Diokno and the NHCP board of trustees hosted the event, which was attended by Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro and Undersecretary Dina Ocampo, Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, and Dapitan Mayor Nene Jalosjos.

Also present were organizations dedicated to the promotion of Rizal’s ideals such as Knights of Rizal, Kababaihang Rizalista, Kabataang Pangarap ni Rizal and Kingdom of God Inc., whose members live in a community atop the hill of the Rizal Shrine.

Priceless

Gabriel Cad, who started as a shrine guide in 1989 and became the shrine curator in 1992, showed what to him were the most valuable pieces in the museum—the original medical instruments used by Rizal in operating the cataracts of his mother, Teodora Alonzo, and many other patients from far and wide.

The museum also proudly displays the original pajamas and set of clothes the multi-faceted destierro used. Cad affectionately stroked the original table and blackboard which Rizal had used in teaching his pupils at Casa Cuadrada, where his classroom, vocational workshop and dormitory were located.

“This is the first time we are showing in the museum the Talisay waterworks system, also known as Linao Aqueduct, which Rizal surveyed and helped build with the blueprint he made,” said Cad.

Rizal harnessed the Linao Creek for its natural spring which gave the public a potable-water system. He much later connected pipes to the aqueduct and with his students built the pipe works that served his household and farm needs.

Cad, whose great grandfather, Victor, lived during Rizal’s time, talked about how Dapitan folk fondly talked about the system of street lamps Rizal introduced.

Rizal had spent a sizable amount for the project, the money coming from a patient whom he operated on successfully. The lamps used local coconut oil. “The system was a cooperative undertaking by the community,” wrote Rizal. “Every light post was taken care of, replenished with oil, turned on and off by the household near the lamppost.”

Family heirloom

Occupying a prominent spot in the museum are four sets of Haec Est Sibylla Cumana, a book of oracle or “spin-the-top-and-learn-your-future” game created by Rizal in Dapitan. The book was a family heirloom and was made public only in 2011 upon publication by Cruz Publishing for the 150th birth anniversary of the National Hero. This author saw a group of students playing the oracle and giggling at the answers they received.

In the publisher’s note, Rizal heir Carmen Guerrero Nakpil says Sibylla Cumana is “a panorama of Filipino thought, customs, interests and practices at the end of 19th-century Filipinas. They are also mostly irreverent, risqué and downright funny, a revelation of Rizal’s unfailing sense of humor.”

The Museo ni José Rizal is located at the very site where Rizal spent four years in exile.

In his letter to his best friend, Austrian scholar and professor Ferdinand Blumentritt, Rizal wrote: “From my house, I hear the murmur of a crystal clear brook which comes from the high rocks. I see the seashore where I keep two boats, which are called barotos here. I have many fruit trees, such as mangoes, lanzones, guayabanos, baluno, nangka, etc. I have rabbits, dogs, cats, and other animals.”

This natural setting was considered by NHCP in its design of the museum. “The structure, now two full floors, is almost completely surrounded by lightly tinted windows that reflect the sea and the trees,” said Diokno. “The exhibits do not block the windows and they enhance the surroundings.”

Up for upgrading

The Dapitan museum is part of an overall plan to modernize around 15 more local museums nationwide, including those of Loay in Bohol, Iloilo City, Naga City, Baliuag in Bulacan, San Juan and Quezon City.

The NHCP is also restoring 12 structures in Bohol and 16 in Cebu damaged by the 2013 earthquake. Local parishes and communities are trained on the maintenance of the restored structures and the ecclesiastical collections they contain.

“The modernized museums are envisioned to serve as dynamic learning hubs and tourist sites, with the installation of interactive facilities wherever possible,” the NHCP head said. “The modernization plan also includes the production of e-lessons on topics covered by the museums.”

“We employed interactive exhibits (games, 3D displays, light-and-sound tableaus, holograms, touch-screen terminals) to enrich the narrative,” she added. “One of my rules is that the farther away from Manila the museum is, the more technologically advanced its exhibits [must be] so as to expand provincial access to modern, interactive displays.”

Collaborative work

Diokno explained that every museum is a collective undertaking. For the modernization of the Dapitan museum, she worked with the research team of Eufemio Agbayani together with researchers Cielito Reyno and Mona Lauro.

Red Root Artists’ Cooperative did the curatorial design (they won the bid) and carried it out with NHCP approval. Division chief Gina Batuhan and Diokno inspected the museum several times while in-house architect Cris Lustre of the Historic Preservation Division took charge of the structural aspect and site development, together with Cad, who knows the Rizal property like the palm of his hand.

“Julie Lluch’s pieces she created for us in Dapitan will undoubtedly attract more visitors,” said Diokno.   She added that Lluch is one of the country’s premier artists who has produced beautiful sculptures at NHCP’s other modernized museums like the bronze bust sculptures of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and Gregoria de Jesus in the Museo ng Katipunan, and the life-size statue of Rizal in Calamba.

Cad said that shrine’s visitors peaked at 23,000 last May. He said he expects a dramatic increase now that the museum has been upgraded.

This writer learned that on the day Rizal and his live-in partner Josephine left Dapitan in 1896, he burned the hut where he kept many of his secret documents. Some believe that all the contents of his library were consumed by fire. Some say the fire started a conflagration that burned the whole compound. I wonder how Rizal, in the less than five months that remained in his young life, ever looked back at those years of his exile in Dapitan.

 Alma Cruz Miclat is the author of deluxe book “Soul Searchers and Dreamers: Artists’ Profiles.” E-mail her at alma.miclat@gmail.com.

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by Quennie Ann J. Palafox

Change comes on June 30 every six years as a new president takes his oath of office to assume the highest government position in the Philippines for six years. The inauguration of a new president is a much awaited event among the Filipinos especially for those who are yearning for the promise of reforms in governance for transparency and efficiency in the delivery of public service by the newly-elected president, as the leadership is passed on to him by the outgoing president. The inauguration of the president is not a regular public holiday in our country. The new president and vice president are sworn into office at noon on the thirtieth of June as stipulated in Article VII, Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

The tradition of the new president taking his oath of office on 30 June dates back to the third inauguration of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos on 30 June 1981 at the Quirino Grandstand.  On 17 January 1981, six months prior to his election for third term as president, Marcos officially lifted Martial Law, and on 20 April 1981, he signed Batas Pambansa Blg. 125 calling for a presidential election on 16 June 1981, the first since 1969. Hence, Marcos was the first president to be sworn into office on 30 June, following the changing of the date of election from November to May and inauguration from 30 December to 30 June under the 1973 Constitution.  On the other hand, the 1935 constitution provides the date of the inauguration of the president on Rizal Day 30 December. Under President Manuel L. Quezon, and from President Diosdado Macapagal to President Marcos’s first and second inaugural in 1965 and 1969, the new president started his term of office at noon of 30 December. However, two presidents, Elpidio Quirino and Carlos P. Garcia, were sworn into office to succeed the presidency on 17 April 1948 and 18 March 1957, respectively, following the untimely death of President Manuel A. Roxas on 15 April 1948 and President Ramon Magsaysay on 17 March 1957. During the time of Presidents Jose P. Laurel, Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas, the inaugural dates also varied.

Glitz and glamor mark the oath-taking ceremony and inauguration ball of the new president of the country to signify his assumption as leader of the nation. With a huge Philippine flag as backdrop, Ferdinand Marcos took oath as the first president of the fourth republic and his third term as president in a grandiose ceremony before Chief Justice Enrique Fernando on 30 June 1981 at the Quirino Grandstand. This event was graced by several foreign dignitaries and other heads of states led by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and US Vice-President George Bush.  Towns and cities all over the country were directed to have their own celebration with band music and town plaza bells ringing in the morning. Metro Manila residents were encouraged to participate in this fanfare as they were treated to a free disco marathon at the grandstand from 10pm to midnight.

Dressed in barong tagalog, Fidel Ramos took his oath of office as 12^th president of the republic before Chief Justice Andres Narvasa. He delivered his 30-minute inaugural speech in front of the about 20, 000 people and 8000 prominent personalities from government, private sector and diplomatic corps. This inauguration rite was witnessed by two former presidents of the country, outgoing President Corazon Aquino and former President Diosdado Macapagal.

Joseph Ejercito Estrada broke the tradition of holding the inaugural rite at Quirino Grandstand when he selected the Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan to be the venue of his oath-taking ceremony as the 13^th president of the Philippines on 30 June 1998. His oath-taking ceremony was officiated by Chief Justice Narvasa and witnessed by two former presidents, Fidel V. Ramos and Corazon C. Aquino, cabinet members, and diplomatic corps. His inauguration was sort of a throwback when he sought to revive a chapter in our history that transpired in that historic church.  Estrada signed his oath of office using the pen that Aguinaldo used in signing the Malolos Constitution. President Estrada proceeded to Quirino Grandstand in the afternoon to deliver his inaugural speech before a huge crowd.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the second woman and 14^th president of the republic, was sworn into office at the Cebu Capitol grounds in Cebu City by Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.  It was her second inauguration as president since her succession to the presidency in 2001 when President Joseph Estrada stepped down. Wearing a green chiffon gown and nine-inch Janilyn shoes, she delivered her speech in 20 minutes  before a crowd of about 30, 000 at the Quirino grandstand in the morning, a few hours before she took her oath of office in Cebu City. Her speech was shorter than the speech of Corazon Aquino which lasted less than 10 minutes and was written on paper napkin in her inaugural as president on 25 February 1986 at Club Filipino. Former president Fidel V. Ramos, members of the cabinet and some member of the diplomatic corps graced the ceremony. Mrs. Arroyo changed into a simple aqua gown in her inauguration in Cebu City which was attended by foreign dignitaries and thousands of Cebuanos. Nora Aunor sang the national anthem in Cebu while Sarah Geronimo did the honors at the Quirino Grandstand.

The inauguration of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino on 30 June 2010 also at the Quirino Grandstand, was star-studded with a good number of celebrities attending the ceremony. The oath-taking was administered by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales. Former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Estrada and foreign dignitaries were present at the inaugural rite. President Aquino wore barong tagalog delivered his speech in 23 minutes in front of a crowd of more than 50, 000 crowd and 4500 VIPs.  A big crowd dressed in yellow gathered to express their support for the newly-elect president.

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte broke the 35-year tradition by holding his inauguration ceremony in Malacañang at noon on 30 June 2016, the fourth time an oath-taking ceremony was held there since former President Ferdinand Marcos. The event yesterday marked the start of term of the new leader of our country.

BALER, AURORA – The Inter-Agency Committee for the Philippine – Spanish Friendship Day celebration will lead the commemoration of the 117th Anniversary of the Siege of Baler (14^th Philippine – Spanish Friendship Day) on 5 July 2016, 8:00 a.m. at Plaza de Baler, Aurora.

Guests of Honor are Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan for the Philippine side, and Embassy of Spain Charge d’ Affaires Guillermo Escribano for the Spanish side who will lead in the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies.  They will be joined by Sen. Juan Edgardo M. Angara, Congresswoman Bellaflor J. Angara-Castillo and National Historical Commission of the Philippines Chair Dr. Maria Serena I. Diokno.

Other attendees include members of the diplomatic corps, officials from the Provincial Government of Aurora and the Municipal Government of Baler.

The Philippine Spanish Friendship Day was established by Republic Act No. 9187 of July 22, 2002, as a means to strengthen the relationship between two nations that share history, values and traditions.

The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research and publication, and preserve the nation’s historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.

Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) chaired by Dr. Maria Serena I. Diokno will open the modernized Museo ni Jose Rizal Dapitan with Brother Armin A. Luistro FSC, Secretary of the Department of Education as guest of honor on 19 June 2016 at 4:00 p.m.

The Museo ni Jose Rizal in Dapitan is located at the site of Jose Rizal’s farm in Talisay, Dapitan where the national hero spent four years in exile productively. Rizal engaged in agricultural pursuits by cultivating various crops and fruit trees and established a school for boys. As a doctor, Rizal treated ailments and successfully operated on eye diseases. With engineering and architectural skills, he set up the town plaza with street lighting, built a dam and waterworks, and nipa huts for his clinic and pupils’ dormitory. Rizal’s scientific mind spurred him to conduct archaeological excavations uncovering pre-colonial artifacts; as a naturalist, he collected biological and botanical specimens; and as a linguist, he studied the Visayan and Malayan languages. Rizal also wrote poetry and created sculptures from clay.

The museum exhibits include a variety of interactive features such as audio visual presentations, light-and-sound tableaus, holograms, and touch screen terminals featuring Rizal’s everyday activities as a political exile in Dapitan.

The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research and publication, and preserve the nation’s historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines in cooperation with Kababaihang Rizalista, Calamba will hold a discussion entitled, Rizal Talk: “The Last Days of Jose Rizal through the Eyes of a Descendant” by Mr. Victor Ver Reyes, a descendant of Saturnina Rizal- Hidalgo on 11 June 2016, Saturday at 9:00 am at the Museo ni Jose Rizal, Calamba. Mr. Reyes will talk about the last days of Dr. Jose Rizal, focusing on the valedictory poem “Mi Ultimo Adios” and how it influenced the Americans to grant a measure of autonomy to Filipinos through Philippine Organic Act of 1902.

Interested participants may contact us through telephone/ mobile numbers (049) 834- 1599; (0917) 656-04157 and e-mail museonijoserizalcalamba@gmail.com.

The Museo ni Jose Rizal Calamba is administered by the NHCP, the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research and publication, and preserve the nation’s historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.