19 June 2021, Calgary – The 160th birth anniversary of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal was observed in Airdrie, Alberta, Canada, with the groundbreaking of the Rizal Monument that will soon be installed in Airdrie’s Nose Creek Regional Park.
Leading the simple ceremony were Consul General Zaldy Patron, Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown, and Filipino Airdrie Association (FAA) President Jun Martin.
The Rizal Monument Project in Airdrie was initiated by the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) and is being implemented in partnership with the Airdrie City Council and FAA. The PCG formed a seven-man Rizal Management Project Team (RMPT) that has been meeting since September 2020 and coordinating with the City of Airdrie for the implementation of the project.
During the ceremony, Consul General Patron gave honor to Dr. Rizal who was born in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines, on 19 June 1861. He recalled that Dr. Rizal was an ophthalmologist, novelist, poet, sculptor, painter, and fencer who was also skilled in many other fields. Dr. Rizal’s extraordinary character included his fluency in 22 languages. His two novels – Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo – exposed the tyranny, injustice and corruption suffered by the Filipinos under their Spanish colonizers. These novels later inspired the Philippine Revolution that started in August 1896, which, in turn, led to the proclamation of the Philippine Independence on 12 June 1898.
