Even with almost no visitors strolling around Luneta Park in Manila, the beauty of the Rizal Monument stood out Friday evening as it was illuminated with blue lights, in solidarity with the Liberty Shrine at Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, to mark the 200-day countdown to the 500th anniversary of the Victory of Mactan.
The event also marks the commemoration of other related events, collectively known as the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines (QCP).
Last Oct. 5, the area where the monument of Dr. Jose Rizal stands finally reopened to tourists. But other parts of Luneta remained closed and activities inside the park are still limited.
While Metro Manila remains under a general community quarantine (GCQ) classification, the management of the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) also said that they are maintaining 10 percent carrying capacity or lesser than 2,000 visitors per day compared to the 4,000 tourists visiting Luneta Park daily during the pre-pandemic period.