Manila opens memorial walk for heroes at Rizal Park
IT ALL started with a remark made by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim in a meeting with National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) officials about the dozens of unrecognized and unidentified martyrs who were executed in Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park).
Little known
From there, an idea was born —to build a memorial in honor of the country’s little-known heroes to assure surviving relatives and friends that their acts of bravery in the face of death will never be forgotten.
On June 24, the Pathway to Glory at Rizal Park’s Heroes’ Square was inaugurated, the highlight of the celebration of the 441st founding anniversary of the City of Manila.
Granite tablets
On the concrete path which winds through the 2,500-sq m area formerly known as Chess Plaza, there are 50 black granite tablets reserved for the names of Katipuneros or revolutionaries who were executed upon the orders of Spanish officials.
Only 20, however, have been filled so far as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has identified only 73 of the Katipuneros.
According to the NHCP, around 800 Filipino martyrs were put to death in Bagumbayan, including Fathers Jose Burgos, Jacinto Zamora and Mariano Gomez, more popularly known as Gomburza.
The memorial walk was Lim’s idea, NPDC communications and media bureau chief Kenneth Montegrande told the INQUIRER.
Lim had told NPDC executive director Juliet Villegas that apart from Jose Rizal, there were many other revolutionaries executed in Bagumbayan whose heroic deeds needed to be extolled and remembered.
The NPDC, who has been working to restore Rizal Park’s status as the national park, adopted the concept and coordinated efforts with the NHCP, the Intramuros Administration (IA) as well as the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority to identify the Bagumbayan martyrs.
Official opening
During the inauguration of the Pathway to Glory, Lim was given the honor of cutting the ribbon in official ceremonies opening the area to the public, along with Villegas, IA administrator Jose Capistrano and NHCP executive director Ludovico Badoy.
The Katipuneros, essentially, were honored at the same spot where they were put to death more than a century ago.
“This is the same sacred ground on which was spilled the blood of our heroes fighting for our freedom,” Lim said in his speech.
He pointed out that many Filipinos believe that Rizal was the only hero executed in Bagumbayan.
“But there are so many others who were killed here fighting for our independence. Hundreds of Katipuneros, including Gomburza and the Trece Martires.”
He encouraged students of the city to explore the pathway and recall the sacrifices made by the Katipuneros.
According to Montegrande, the Pathway to Glory memorial is “a walk of remembrance that is seen as a source of intellectual and spiritual upliftment among park visitors, both Filipinos and foreigners. It is envisioned that this public art will provide a sense of historical continuity in Rizal Park as present-day park visitors will be made aware of what transpired on this hallowed ground.”
Reminder
“It will also serve as a continuing reminder for Filipinos that what we enjoy today are the fruits of our forefathers’ courage, sacrifice and love for the country,” he added.