President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday honored the legacy of Dr. Jose Rizal, urging Filipinos to uphold the national hero’s values as the country continues to seek accountability and integrity from its leaders.
“We look up to his life to provide us with guidance and strength,” Marcos said in his message for the 129th Rizal Day commemoration.
“Let our celebration deepen our resolve to live by the values he embodied: love of country, respect for truth, a tireless pursuit of just reform, and the courage to speak and act for what is right,” he added.
The President expressed hope that the occasion would inspire Filipinos, especially the youth, “to pair patriotism with responsible citizenship so that we can be of better service to the country.”
Marcos led the wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument in Luneta Park and later presided over the “Pamaskong Handog Mula sa Pangulo” at the Rizal Park Open Air Auditorium.
He emphasized Rizal’s enduring impact through his writings and martyrdom, which awakened national identity and the Filipino people’s desire for dignity and self-determination.
“May we allow Rizal’s principles to guide the way we live and work for our nation so that in whatever we do, we always choose compassion over indifference and country over personal interests,” Marcos said.
“In every act of integrity and every stand for truth, we keep Dr. Rizal’s dreams alive and bring our shared vision of a Bagong Pilipinas closer to reality,” he added.
Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896, at Bagumbayan—now Rizal Park—for rebellion against Spanish colonial rule, a pivotal moment that fueled the Philippine independence movement.
The National Historical Commission marked the 129th anniversary of Rizal’s martyrdom with the theme: “Rizal: Sa Pagbangon ng mga Mamamayan, Aral at Diwa Mo ang Tunay na Gabay.”