QC celebrates Rizal Day with emotional lecture

Quezon City officials led by Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. got yesterday a two-hour crash course on the life of Dr. Jose Rizal when the guest speaker at the city hall-organized affair narrated exploits of the national hero.

Prof. Jose David Lapuz, a UNESCO commissioner and a Knight Grand Cross of Rizal, was the guest at Quezon City’s commemoration of the 110th death anniversary of Rizal and delivered an emotion-filled narration of the life and times of the national hero.

Senior citizens who were among the guest fell asleep on their seats but Mayor Belmonte and other city officials paid full attention to the lecture particularly on some untold stories about Rizal.

Aside from Prof. Lapuz the great granddaughter of Rizal, Asuncion Faustman was also present and was among the guests.

Lapuz acknowledged the role of Mayor Belmonte and other officials in transforming Quezon City into the richest local government unit in the country today which he said was among the vision of Rizal to set up a model community.

"Mayor Belmonte walks on a historic path in leading a great city, we are now free of debts", Lapuz said.

Lapuz narrated Rizal’s works, studies, trips abroad and he also discussed the relevance of the hero’s ideas in today’s developments.

Lapuz said Rizal foresaw events ahead of his time and predicted that the Philippines will be under the US control.

"Rizal was able to predict that Philippines will be under the US not under England not under Germany," he said. — Perseus Echeminada