Chargѐ d’Affaires, a.i. Frank R. Cimafranca offers flowers at the bust of Filipino nationalist Dr. Jose Rizal.

27 December 2019 LONDON—Chargѐ d’Affaires, a.i. Frank R. Cimafranca led the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in London and special guests in paying tribute to Dr. Jose Rizal on Friday, 27 December 2019, in commemoration of the 123rd anniversary of the martyrdom of the Philippine national hero.

Special guests who joined Embassy personnel during the commemoration were the officers from the four (4) chapters of the Order of the Knights of Rizal in the UK and the Ladies of Rizal UK, as well as some members of the Filipino community in London.

A highlight of the commemoration was the screening of the film “Noli Me Tangere,” based on Dr. Rizal’s seminal work “Noli Me Tangere” or “Touch Me Not,” a DVD copy of which was provided by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). This screen adaptation of Dr. Rizal’s novel won the Best Picture award during the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards in 1961 and was directed by the renowned and multi-awarded director Gerardo De Leon, for which he won the Best Director award.

CDA Cimafranca, some officers of the Philippine Embassy, and representatives of the Knights of Rizal - London Chapter gather by the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal after the commemoration of the 123rd anniverasary of the Filipino hero's martyrdom.

The Embassy’s tribute to Dr. Rizal began with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and a floral offering at the bust of Dr. Rizal by CDA Cimafranca. In CDA Cimafranca’s welcome remarks, he extolled Dr. Rizal as a shining example of a renaissance man that all Filipinos should aspire to be, and a patriot by whom Filipinos measure their own love of country. He expressed the hope that Filipinos continue to take to heart Dr. Rizal’s messages and apply their significance to their thoughts and aspirations for their country. He urged the audience to always strive to live up to Dr. Rizal’s exemplars of bravery, patriotism and compassion so that the current generation of Filipinos can help bring about the peace, unity and harmony that Dr. Jose Rizal hoped for, for the Philippines, the Filipino people and the world. END