Philippine Centennial - Memorial Grove - Pennsauken, NJ - Community Commemoration on Waymarking.com

The Jose Rizal Memorial shares a common space with another memorial, the Bataan Death March memorial. From Google Earth, both are situated in a figure eight with the Rizal memorial in the southwest and the Bataan memorial in the northeast. Within our home town, there is a significant population of Filipino Americans. On June 10, 2006, we celebrated Filipino Independence Day here at the monument.

About Rizal (from Wikipedia):

Dr. José P. Rizal (full name: José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda) (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino polymath, nationalist and the most prominent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is considered the Philippines' national hero and the anniversary of Rizal's death is commemorated as a Philippine holiday called Rizal Day. Rizal's 1896 military trial and execution made him a martyr of the Philippine Revolution. Wikipedia

The statue was placed in 1998 on the centennial anniversary of Filipino independence. A commemoration plaque reads: "In recognition of President Fidel V. Ramos and his vital role in bringing the José P. Rizal Monument to our community during his administration in the centennial year 1998, and in honor of his visit to Rizal Memorial Park on March 24, 2000, the Filipino-Americans of Greater Philadelphia remain forever grateful."

On the base of the monument is a history/biography of the man in gilded lettering. The road out front, running along the Cooper River and Memorial Grove known as Park Blvd is also known as Dr. José P. Rizal Memorial Road (see picture).

1998 marked the 100th anniversary of the Philippine independence. It was on June 12, 1898, when General Emilio Aguinaldo, first president of the Philippine republic, declared the independence of the country from the Spanish rule , at his residence in Kawit, Cavite. Aguinaldo's action, however, was just the culmination of a series of events in what is now known as the "Philippine Revolution of 1896," which was launched after the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal in Bagumbayan on December 30 of the same year.

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