03 January 2022, CANBERRA – The Philippine Embassy in Canberra led the commemoration of the 126th Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal’s martyrdom on 30 December 2022 at the recently inaugurated bust of Dr. Rizal at the Embassy grounds. The theme of the 126th year commemoration is Rizal: Alaalang Iningatan, Yaman Ngayon ng Bayan (Rizal: Preserved Memories Treasured today by the Nation).

The program began with the flag raising ceremony followed by a wreath laying ceremony led by Ambassador Ma. Hellen De La Vega and Consul General Aian Caringal. The activity was also participated by the Knights of Rizal - Sydney Chapter headed by the Deputy Regional Commander of the Australia, New Zealand and Oceania (ANZO) Region, Sir Tom Baena, Knights of Rizal - Canberra Chapter headed by Sir Norman Kalagayan, the Kababaihang Rizalista Inc. - Canberra Chapter headed by the Vice President Ms. Cecilia Flores and Mr. Thomas Da Jose, a Filipino-Australian post graduate student of University of Sydney and an advocate of water, sanitation and hygiene education (WashEd) in the Philippines.

In her remarks, Ambassador De La Vega emphasized that the principles that Dr. Rizal lived by and fought for are national treasures that Filipinos should endeavor to emulate and that the foundations of independence and democratic values bequeathed by Rizal should be preserved. In this spirit, she also encouraged all of the qualified Filipinos to register as overseas absentee voters for the 2025 national and local elections in the Philippines as exercising the right and duty to vote is the most effective manner to serve the country. END