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Dapitan City celebrates 130th anniversary of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal's arrival
Dapitan City celebrates 130th anniversary of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal's arrival
Dubbed Revisitamos Dapitan 1892, various sporting and cultural events highlighted the two-week celebration, which also coincided with the city’s annual celebration of Kinabayo Festival.
“We are also celebrating Kinabayo Festival because this has been institutionalized already. But because this is already the 130th anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s arrival in Dapitan, we made the Revisitamos Dapitan the lead event. But still, the two celebrations are of equal importance,” said Apple Marie Agolong, Dapitan tourism officer.
The Kinabayo Festival is celebrated from July 15 to 26 but because of the Revisitamos, the series of sporting and cultural activities will run until July 31, Agolong said.
Rizal, the country's national hero, lived in Dapitan as a political exile from July 17, 1892 to July 31, 1896.
"Rizal has left a footprint to the Dapitanons. He spent four of the most productive years of his life in Dapitan so this is very significant, something that we should highlight – his life, his works, everything that he was doing while he was here," Dapitan Mayor Seth Jalosjos said during the holding of El Deportado, a one-act re-enactment of Rizal's landing at the Punto del Desembarco de Rizal en Dapitan on July 17, 1892.
Revisitanos in Dapitan 1892 is held in partnership with the Province of Zamboanga del Norte headed by Gov. Rosalina "Nanay Nene" Jalosjos, the Department of Education (DepEd), and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
National Artists for Dance Alice Reyes and National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab graced the Dance Philippines last July 23 at Glorious Fantasyland Complex in Dapitan.
Reyes and Cayabyab also graced the heritage tour at Balay Hamoy, the residence of Don Mariano Balsomo Hamoy and wife Doña Pilar Sagario Acaylar in Dapitan. The house was constructed in 1893.
When Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, he and Don Mariano became close friends and business partners in the abaca trade.
Capping the series of cultural activities was the Ballet Rizal Heritage Grand Performance.
Two historical markers in Dapitan were also unveiled by the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) Tuesday, July 27.
Jorell Legaspi, Deputy Director General for Museums of NMP, led the unveiling and turnover of historical markers for the Old Municipal Hall and Rizal’s creation Relief of Map of Mindanao.