Pinoy officials turn over Rizal maps to Catalan partners in Spain

Filipino consular and historical commission officials turned over three maps about Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal to the prestigious Catalan entities last March, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.   The maps were turned over by the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to the City of Barcelona, Casa Asia, and the University of Pompeu Fabra, all in Spain.   "The said entities have been active partners of the Consulate in honoring and recognizing Dr. Jose Rizal by placing plaques and markers on various spaces and establishments that he stayed in or visited while living in Barcelona (such as) the La Solidaridad plaque in Calle Buensuceso, the Sala Rizal in Castillo de Montjuic, the reinstallation of the Rizal plaque in Hotel Espanya)," the DFA said in a news release.  NHCP chairperson Dr. Maria Serena Diokno and Consul General Catalino Dilem Jr. turned over the maps to Vice Mayor for International Relations Jordi Martin, who accepted the map on behalf of the city government. Carmen Pi-Sunyer and Professor Gloria Cano represented Casa Asia and the University of Pompeu Fabra, respectively.   The DFA said the diorama maps, prepared by the NHCP, indicated the sites that Dr. Rizal visited during his stay in this major Barcelona.   Representatives of the Filipino community and members of the Consulate witnessed the turnover ceremony at the Salón de las Crónicas in Barcelona on March 26.   Salón de las Crónicas is one of the magnificent and historic rooms in the City Hall as it houses the works of one celebrated Catalan muralist, Josep Maria Sert.   The DFA said Diokno "imparted interesting stories of how Dr. Rizal's somewhat negative initial impression of Barcelona changed to fascination and appreciation not only of the city but also of its people as he became friends with 19th century Catalan statesman Francisco Pi y Margal, a president of the former Spanish Republic."  Jose Rizal

José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda was a Filipino polymath and patriot who advocated for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era.

Rizal was born to a rich family in Calamba, Laguna on June 19, 1861. He was the seventh child in the family which had 11 children.

He attended various schools: 

• Ateneo Municipal de Manila (earning a Bachelor of Arts);
• University of Santo Tomas (medicine);
• Universidad Central de Madrid in Madrid, Spain (Licentiate in Medicine);
• University of Paris, and
• University of Heidelberg.

Rizal was a polyglot who was conversant in 22 languages.

He was also a poet and novelist and his two most famous works were the "Noli me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo."

On December 30, 1896, Rizal was executed by the Spanish in Bagumbayan.

The date of his death is remembered every year as "Rizal Day." — VVP, GMA News