Laptop for 1 Euro!

A lot of wonderful prizes are in store for disco-goers and patrons of the LFR and KOR at their annual Yugyugan Disco to be held on Saturday, 22 October 2011. For a tombola ticket worth 1 Euro the following prizes could be won: Laptop Computer, (Two) Navigation Systems, Digital Camera, AEG Dampfbuegelstation (AEG steam iron), AEG Bodenstaubsauger (AEG Vacuum cleaner) rice cooker, 1 sack of rice and many many more!

The proceeds of the event will benefit the various charitable projects of the Knights and Ladies for Rizal in the Philippines. So what are you waiting for? Bring your friends and family, come dance your worries away and get a chance to win one of the several prizes of the night!

Contact: Helen Lacuna 02241-334955
Gloria Marten:02241-81440
Margie Lapinid Amarga: 0228-225965

Or any other Knight or Ladies for Rizal Bonn Chapter members.

Yugyugan Disco 2011 on October 22

The Order of the Knights of Rizal e.V. and the Ladies for Rizal Bonn Chapter invite you once again to their annual disco fund-raising event on Saturday October 22, 2011 starting at 18:00 hrs at the St Winfried Basement Hall Straesschensweg 3, 53113 Bonn. Join us and have fun while helping support our charitable projects in the Philippines!

*Music from 1960s to present!!                
*Mob Dancing with Dance Instructors!!


Entrance fee is only 6 Euro, Food and drinks available at very low prices!
Tombola tickets available at 1 Euro each!
Contact: Helen Lacuna 02241-334955
Gloria Marten:02241-81440
Margie Lapinid Amarga: 0228-225965

LFR KOR holds first meeting after Summer break

It was a reunion of sorts for the Ladies and Knights of Rizal Bonn Chapter last Friday, 09 September 2011 as they held their first regular chapter meeting after the long summer break. After a hearty dinner of Filipino and German dishes, discussion for the upcoming Yugyugan Disco 2011 began. This year, the group is planning a lot of fun and surprises for the event, making it another exciting night for all disco-goers. Those who came to the Yugyugan last year, will definitely enjoy this year's party as well.

For all those who are interested to join  this year's party, do stay tuned for more information!

Mi Ultimo Adios

Farewell, beloved Country, treasured region of the sun,
Pearl of the sea of the Orient, our lost Eden!
To you eagerly I surrender this sad and gloomy life;
And were it brighter, fresher, more florid,
Even then I’d give it to you, for your sake alone.

In fields of battle, deliriously fighting,
Others give you their lives, without doubt, without regret;
The place matters not: where there’s cypress, laurel or lily,
On a plank or open field, in combat or cruel martyrdom,
It’s all the same if the home or country asks.

I die when I see the sky has unfurled its colors
And at last after a cloak of darkness announces the day;
If you need scarlet to tint your dawn,
Shed my blood, pour it as the moment comes,
And may it be gilded by a reflection of the heaven’s newly-born light.

My dreams, when scarcely an adolescent,
My dreams, when a young man already full of life,
Were to see you one day, jewel of the sea of the Orient,
Dry those eyes of black, that forehead high,
Without frown, without wrinkles, without stains of shame.

My lifelong dream, my deep burning desire,
This soul that will soon depart cries out: Salud!
To your health! Oh how beautiful to fall to give you flight,
To die to give you life, to die under your sky,
And in your enchanted land eternally sleep.

Rizal Trivia

1. Jose Rizal could write and read at age two and grew up to speak 22 languages including Latin, Spanish, Catalan, German, French, English, Chinese and Japanese.
2. Three animal species were named after Rizal; Draco rizali, a species of flying dragon, Rachophorous rizali, a species of toad and Apogonia rizali, a beetle species.
3. Rizal is one of the few recognized "Renaissance man" in the world. A Renaissance man is a well educated person and one who excels in a wide variety of subjects or fields.
4. He mastered various skills and subjects. He was an ophthalmologist, novelist, educator, farmer, historian, playwright, sculptor, painter and journalist.
5. Jose Rizal was a fine architect, cartographer, economist, ethnologist, anthropologist, sociologist, dramatist, martial artist and an expert in fencing and pistol shooting.
6. Rizal, a polyglot conversant, was a prolific essayist, diarist, correspondent, diarist, novelist and poet.
7. Jose Rizal graduated in Ateneo Municipal de Manila as one of the nine students in his class declared as "sobresaliente" or "outstanding".
8. Considering that he lived during the latter part of the 19th century where the only means of long distance travel is by ship, he can be considered a very well traveled man. He traveled extensively and had been to the United States, Spain, Great Britain, France, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy, Singapore, Borneo, Hong Kong, China and Japan. Not even a millionaire today could afford the numerous and extensive travels of Jose Rizal during his time.
9. Rizal, a man of medium height and small built, was a great lover. He was romantically involved to numerous women of different nationalities which include Gertrude Becket, Nelly Bousted, Usui Seiko, Segunda Katigbak, Leonora Rivera, Leonor Valenzuela, Consuelo Ortiga y Rey, Suzanna Jacoby, and Josephine Bracken.
10. Jose Rizal wrote his very first poem entitled "Sa Aking Mga Kababata" (To My Childhood Friends) at age seven.
11. Rizal's most famous quotation: "Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika, daig pa ang hayop at malansang isda". (He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish).
12. Quite unusual for a man about to be executed, but his pulse proved to be normal when the Spanish surgeon general requested to take his pulse moments before Rizal's execution.
13. Bizarre it may seems but there is a religious sect, the Rizalista – members of Cruzado, claims that Jose Rizal is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.
14. It sounds absurd but there are people who are spreading statements that Adolf Hitler of Germany and Mao Zedong of China were sons of Jose Rizal. This is absolutely a hoax.
15. Monuments in honor of Jose Rizal were erected in various parts of the world like Madrid, Spain; Wilhelmsfeld, Germany; Jinjiang, Fujian, China; Chicago, Cherry Hill Township, San Diego, Seattle, U.S.A.; Mexico City, Mexico; Lima, Peru; Litomerice, Czech Republic; and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Source: Amazing Facts About Rizal

How well did Rizal Perform in the University?

The Royal and Pontifical University of the Philippines, The University of Santo Tomas’ Faculty of Medicine’s record of Jose Rizal with a grade of Aprovado.  The grades were Notable (Excellent), Sobresaliente (Very Good), Aprovado (Passed) and Reprovado (Failed).

Most biographers of Rizal paint a bleak picture of his stay at the University of Santo Tomas. An examination of the records at the archives, however, presents a more balanced view. All of this has been presented by Fr. Fidel Villarroel, OP, in his book “Jose Rizal and the University of Santo Tomas” (1984), with so much more enriching detail and context.


Grades of Rizal in UST (1877-1882)

Preparatory Course of Theology and Law (1877-1878)
Cosmology—Sobresaliente [Excellent; equivalent grade: 1.0]
Metaphysics—Sobresaliente [Excellent: 1.0]
Theodicy—Sobresaliente [Excellent: 1.0]
History of Philosophy—Sobresaliente [Excellent: 1.0]
Preparatory Course of Medicine
(1878-1879)
Advanced Physics—Aprovechado [Very Good: 1.5]
Advanced Chemistry—Sobresaliente [Excellent: 1.0]
Advanced Natural History—Aprovechado [Very Good: 1.5]

1st Year of Medicine (1878-1879)
 Note: Rizal was one of four allowed out of 28 to take these courses simultaneously with those above, which was highly irregular, but it reveals the Dominicans’ recognition of their students’ intellectual preparation.
General Anatomy and Histology—Bueno [Good: 2.0]
Descriptive Anatomy—Bueno [Good: 2.0]
Exercises of Osteology and Dissection—Bueno [Good: 2.0]

2nd Year of Medicine (1879-1880)
General Anatomy and Histology II—Bueno [Good: 2.0]
Descriptive Anatomy II—Bueno [Good: 2.0]
Exercises of Dissection—Bueno [Good: 2.0]
Physiology, Private and Public Hygiene—Bueno [Good: 2.0]

3rd Year of Medicine (1880-1881)
General Pathology, Its Clinic, and Pathologic Histology—Aprobado [Passed: 3.0]
Therapeutics, Medical Matter and Art of Prescribing—Sobresaliente [Excellent: 1.0]
Surgical Anatomy, Operations, External Medical Applications and Bandages—Bueno [Good: 2.0]

4th Year of Medicine (1881-1882)
Medical Pathology—Notable [Very Good: 1.5]
Surgical Pathology—Notable [Very Good: 1.5]
Obstetrics, Sicknesses of Women and Children—Notable [Very Good: 1.5]
Siphilography—Notable [Very Good: 1.5]

Jose Rizal's House in Calamba

Rizal's ancestral home in Calamba (aka Rizal Shrine)

Jose Rizal's father, Francisco Mercado, and mother, Teodora Alonso, originally came from the town of Biñan in Laguna but decided to settle in Calamba after their 1848 wedding. They built the first hardwood and stone house in Calamba, which is now known as the Rizal shrine. The house lies very near to the biggest catholic church in Calamba at that time - a sign of the family's affluence.

After Rizal's family was driven out of the house by the Spaniards, the house was sold to Don Isidro, the governor's brother, who in turn, started renting it out. The Philippine government purchased the house but World War II caused significant damage to the original structure. What is standing now is actually a reconstruction of the house rendered by National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil based on photographs of houses in that era and from inputs of family members. President Elpidio Quirino re-opened the house for public viewing after re-construction finished in 1950.

The entrance in the lower part of the house with the grand stairs

The lower part of the house which is made of stone is where Rizal's mother, Teodora Alonso ran a general merchandise store. The main entrance is a big heavy door which opens into a grand staircase leading to a second floor landing (caida) which used to be the family's library. 

The landing (caida) on the second floor

The caida leads to the common dining room and two bedrooms. The master bedroom is shared with the boys of the family and the other room is for the girls. On the other side of the caida is the utility room and kitchen.

The dining room

The garden at the back of the house contains a small nipa hut where the young Rizal spent many hours with his brother and sisters playing and discovering. The Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) decided to transfer the remains of Rizal's parents back to Calamba and bury them on the left side of the grounds behind the house.

The remains of Jose Rizal's parents were transferred by Sen. Lina to the garden

Recently, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines added an exhibit of artifacts used by Rizal in the later stages of his life. The exhibit includes coats and vests worn by our national hero, some sculptures and a fragment of the coat Rizal worn during his execution in 1896.

Rizal's statue in the garden of the house

The Rizal Shrine is open from Tuesdays to Sundays 8:00-12:00 noon and from 1:00-5:00pm. Admission is free! Let us take the wonderful opportunity to get to know our national hero better and fully appreciate the sacrifices he made for the sake of our freedom.

(All photographs courtesy of Sir Dirk Hampel)

Spot the Difference: Rizalista as Religious Cult vs Rizalistas in a Socio-Civic Org'n

One of the Rizalista sects

Rizalista Religious Groups - According to Brittanica.com, Rizalists are any of numerous ethnic religious groups in the Philippines that believe in the divinity of José Rizal, the national hero martyred by the Spanish in 1896. Among many peasant cults it is commonly believed that he is still alive and will return to deliver his followers from poverty and oppression. Rizal has been identified as God, as the second, or Filipino, Christ, and as the god of the pre-Spanish Malay religion. Rizalist cults, such as the Iglesia Sagrada ni Lahi (HolyChurch of the Race) and the Banner of the Race Church (the largest group), synthesize Roman Catholic rituals.

Generally, Rizalista groups immortalize and worship Jose P. Rizal as a divine being. But they also have contrasting views about the persona of Rizal. For instance, some groups consider him as god, the son of Bathala, the reincarnation of Christ, a spirit, an avatar, a saint, a prophet, while others believe that he is a god and a man at the same time. Some of the registered Rizalista groups are Samahan ng Tatlong Persona Solo Dios, Ciudad Mistica de Dios, Adamista, Bathalismo, Watawat ng Lahi, Iglesia Sagrada Flilipina, and Espiritual Pilipino Catholic Church, among others. They are scattered all over the archipelago but most of them are based in Calamba, Laguna and at the foot of Mt. Banahaw in Quezon Province. There are even chapters abroad. 

Photoblog of Rizal @ 150

Here are some behind-the-scene photos during the organisation's trip to Heidelberg to celebrate Jose Rizal's 150th birthday anniversary.

The Ladies pose on the castle front

The day before the celebrations, the group took a tour of Heidelberg passing by Rizal's former appartment in the city center and culminating with a visit to the castle.

Here you see the group (Ladies and Knights and their families) posing in front of  Heidelberg's castle.

The Knights pose in the castle front

The Knights also took the opportunity to have their photos taken with the city of Heidelberg and the majestic mountains below them.

José Rizal’s Favorite Dishes

When Rizal was in Dapitan, he often requested his mother, Teodora Alonso, to send him some Laguna cheese, mangoes and “terrinas de foie gras.” The cheese is made very well in his home province, Laguna whereas mangoes abound in the area. The foie gras must have been as expensive as it is now and must have reminded him of his visit to Juan Luna in his studio in Paris. 

Kesong Puti (white cheese) from Laguna

Laguna mangoes with bagoong (ermented shrimps)