Army joins nation in commemorating Dr. Jose Rizal's 117th death anniversary

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 29): Army joins nation in commemorating Dr. Jose Rizal's 117th death anniversary

The Philippine Army (PA) will be joining the entire nation in commemorating the 117th death anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal this Monday.

Capt. Anthony Bacus, Army spokesperson, said a flag raising and wreath laying ceremonies would be simultaneously held at the Rizal Monument in Burnham Park, Baguio City and at the Rizal National Monument in Manila around 7:00 a.m.

President Benigno S. Aquino III will lead the commemoration in Baguio City. He will be joined by PA chief Lt. Gen. Noel A. Coballes.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay will lead the offering of wreath at the Rizal Monument in Manila, with Army vice commander Major Gen. Romulo M. Cabantac as one of the military co-hosts.

True to this year’s theme, “Rizal: Inspirasyon Noon, Ngayon, at Bukas”, Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s legacy remains alive among Filipino soldiers, Bacus said.

“Today we draw inspiration from the non-violent struggles of Rizal. We fight for peace the way Rizal advocated for reforms – through peaceful means,” he added.

This peaceful resolution of conflict is embodied in the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan, in which the Army recognizes the more important end state of “winning the peace rather than defeating the enemy”.

Rizal was a proponent of freedom by peaceful means through institutional reforms rather than by revolution.

He believed that the peaceful ways of reform was the way to liberate the Philippines and the Filipino people from the colonizers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=600489