PRESS RELEASE NO. 149-2024

Acting Head of Post Pamela Durian-Bailon (4th from left) poses for a photo with the distinguished officers and members of Knights of Rizal and their guests after a lei offering ceremony at the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Square.

30 December 2024, Honolulu – Consul Pamela Durian-Bailon, Acting Head of Post, lauded the Knights of Rizal - Aloha Chapter for the successful staging of the first Concert at the Square on 29 December 2024 at the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Square in downtown Honolulu. 

Organized to mark the 128th anniversary of the martyrdom of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. According to Sir. Raymund Llanes Liongson, Program Organizers, the idea of a Concert at the Square came from the Concert at the Park in Luneta. Consul Bailon commended the Knights of Rizal for their unwavering dedication to preserving and promoting Rizal’s enduring legacy.

In her remarks, she emphasized the deep significance of honoring Rizal’s heroism through music, saying, “Music, like Dr. Jose Rizal’s words, has the power to unite, inspire, and evoke profound reflection. It is a universal language that transcends barriers, much like the message of hope and enlightenment that Rizal sought to impart.” (END)

The talented mother-daughter duo Katrina Lopez and Monica Velasco were the featured artists in the Concert at the Square, where they wowed the guests with several kundiman and English songs befitting the occasion. The photo on the right shows Consul Bailon, Monica Velasco, and Katrina Lopez, with Dr. Jose Rizal’s statue in the background.

Knights of Rizal officers and members reenact Dr. Jose Rizal’s ultimate sacrifice. 

Sir Rodgie Mark Bucsit, Aloha Chapter Commander, Knights of Rizal, said it was fitting that the event was held at the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Square, which was  built on 19 June 2011 in honor of Dr. Rizal's 150th birth anniversary.