Halad Alang sa Adlaw’ng Natawhan ni Rizal

 

Dumaguete celebrates the 164ᵗʰ Birth Anniversary of Dr. José P. Rizal
June 19, 2025 | Pantawan Rizal People’s Park, Dumaguete City

DUMAGUETE CITY – As twilight brushed Pantawan Rizal People’s Park with gold and rose, the soft roll of drums signaled the start of a tribute that has become both ritual and renewal for Dumagueteños: Halad Alang sa Adlaw’ng Natawhan ni Rizal, the city’s heartfelt offering on the 164ᵗʰ birthday of the nation’s foremost hero, Dr. José P. Rizal. 

A park transformed into a national shrine

By 5:30 PM, rows of bamboo torches lined the sea‑front promenade, their steady flames mirrored on the calm Bohol Sea. The air carried the scent of sampaguita garlands carefully woven by local students. Beneath the park’s towering Rizal monument, delegates of the Order of the Knights of Rizal—from Negros Oriental to distant Aguilas Chapter—took their places in immaculate Barong Tagalog and glittering medals, a living tapestry of brotherhood that stretches across islands and seas.

On the adjacent esplanade, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines – Negros Oriental–Siquijor Council stood in crisp Type‑A uniforms. Eagle Scouts Charles Steven Mark Libradilla and his troop presented colors with precision worthy of the occasion, while Silliman University ROTC cadets formed an honor cordon, sabers raised in salute.

A park transformed into a national shrine

By 5:30 PM, rows of bamboo torches lined the sea‑front promenade, their steady flames mirrored on the calm Bohol Sea. The air carried the scent of sampaguita garlands carefully woven by local students. Beneath the park’s towering Rizal monument, delegates of the Order of the Knights of Rizal—from Negros Oriental to distant Aguilas Chapter—took their places in immaculate Barong Tagalog and glittering medals, a living tapestry of brotherhood that stretches across islands and seas.

On the adjacent esplanade, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines – Negros Oriental–Siquijor Council stood in crisp Type‑A uniforms. Eagle Scouts Charles Steven Mark Libradilla and his troop presented colors with precision worthy of the occasion, while Silliman University ROTC cadets formed an honor cordon, sabers raised in salute.

A wreath, a prayer, a collective vow

The wreath‑laying ceremony followed, simplicity underscoring its power. A wreath of white anthuriums—symbol of purity—was borne to the foot of the monument by Sir Kenneth Coo, Sir Alden Rabina, and Sir Penn T. Larena, heads of the June 19 committee, alongside City Tourism’s Kaycee Melon and John Rubio. As the wreath settled, a conch shell blew from the shoreline, an old Visayan call to the spirits. Heads bowed; lips moved in individual prayers. For a heartbeat, 1896 felt present.

Partners in purpose

Behind the scenes, the City Government of Dumaguete, the Knights of Rizal, the Edilberto and Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center, and the National Museum Dumaguete formed the backbone of the celebration. Their collaboration ensured that every detail—from multilingual stage scripts to eco‑friendly décor—echoed Rizal’s own synthesis of intellect, creativity, and love for native soil.

Fashioned in Filipino pride

Adherence to the dress code elevated the visual narrative: Barong Tagalog, Filipiniana gowns in piña jusi, and Type‑A scout uniforms shimmered under incandescent park lights. Each outfit whispered of heritage—loom‑woven patterns from Bukidnon shoulders,

The event was enriched by the cultural support of the Negros Oriental Alliance of Culture and Arts Advocates,Paulinian Arts Society  Buglas Reading & Writers Club, St. Paul University Dumaguete, Rizal Youth Club, Silliman University Camera Club, and the Silliman University National Writers Workshop, whose meaningful contributions honored Rizal’s enduring legacy.

Why this celebration matters

In an era when headlines can erode hope, Dumaguete’s Halad Alang sa Adlaw’ng Natawhan ni Rizal stands as gentle defiance. It insists that civic rituals still kindle the collective conscience, that art and memory remain potent political acts, and that Rizal’s challenge—to think, to speak, to serve—resounds louder than cannons.

As the last torch was doused and park lights dimmed, one sensed that the real ceremony would unfold the next morning, in classrooms and council halls, in poems and policy debates. For if Rizal taught anything, it is that the truest wreath is action, and the finest birthday gift is a citizenry determined to finish the revolution he began with his pen.

Daghan Salamat, Dumagueteños. May the spirit of Dr. José P. Rizal continue to light our way.