THE local government of Zamboanga City in collaboration with the Order of the Knights of Rizal-Zamboanga Chapter will spearhead activities to commemorate the 161st Birth Anniversary of National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal Sunday, June 19.

The commemorative activity, through a simple program, will be held at 8 a.m. at the Rizal monument in front of City Hall, according to Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar.

Anchored on the theme “Rizalism: The Emergence of Peace, Solidarity and Good Governance,” the program will start at 8 a.m. with doxology and singing of the National Anthem.

The floral offering at Rizal’s monument will come after the singing of the Zamboanga Hermosa Hymn to be led by the choir of the Zamboanga City High School (ZCHS) Main.

The floral offering will be participated by city officials, national government agencies, non-government organizations, academe, police and military sectors. A simple program will follow.

Rizal, whose complete name, Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Realonda was born on June 19, 1861, “whose influential works including his novels “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo,” sparked the Filipino revolution against the Spaniards.”

Historical records say that “because of his novels and other writings, he was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao and executed on December 30, 1896 in Bagumbayan, now known as Luneta Park in Manila.

Every year, June 19 is declared as a special holiday in the province of Laguna in honor of the national hero. (SunStar Zamboanga)