Masons, consulate mark Rizal’s 150th birthday

The Masons of Emon Lodge No. 179, together with the Philippine Consulate General, commemorated the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal in a simple and brief ceremony on Wednesday.

The ceremony, held at the Consulate office on the 5th floor of Marianas Business Plaza in Susupe, unveiled a banner depicting the life and works of Rizal as a Mason.

“We [want] people to come and see Rizal’s works and know about his life as a mason,” said Emon Lodge No. 179 Worshipful Master Isagani Benoza. “We highlighted Rizal as a Mason because not many people know that he was [one].”

Benoza said a reproduction of the original manuscript of Rizal’s second novel, El Filibusterismo, was also put on display at the ceremony.

The banner and the manuscript reproduction were added to the photo exhibit at the Consulate to pay tribute to Rizal and other heroes of the Philippine Revolution.

According to Benoza, Rizal was a Master Mason in Madrid, Spain under the pseudonym Dimasalang.

“Rizal became a Mason in the Philippines when Marcelo del Pilar brought Masonry there,” he disclosed.

Benoza said Rizal applied the principles of Masonry to attain his goal of national independence for his beloved country.

“These basic principles are brotherly love, relief, and truth,” he told Saipan Tribune.

This year’s observance of Rizal’s birth anniversary, Benoza said, will be the start of the collaboration between Emon Lodge No. 179 and the Consulate in commemorating not just Rizal’s birth anniversary but also his death anniversary every Dec. 30.

“Being our national hero, Rizal should always be remembered. Even though we’re based abroad, Filipinos should still commemorate the birth and death of Rizal wherever they are,” added Benoza.

Consul General Medardo Macaraig stressed the importance of celebrating Rizal’s birth anniversary, saying it is an opportunity to remember Rizal’s martyrdom and heroism, which helped the country achieve its independence from its colonizers..

“We need to commemorate this occasion, no matter how simple the ceremony is,” he said in an interview.

“Rizal continues to be relevant in these modern times through his advocacies that include peaceful reforms and equality of people, regardless of where they come from.”