Rizal's Dapitan and Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte

After the successful launch of Rizal @ 150 Heritage Trail at the Rizal Park in Manila, the Department of Tourism, in partnership with DOT Region 9 and the local governments of Zamboanga del Norte, brought another launch in the peaceful Mindanao city of Dapitan, where Jose Rizal was exiled.



We arrived at Dipolog City Airport, had lunch, and proceeded to Dapitan City for the launch by the sea, at the Rizal landing site. After which, we toured all of the Lakbay Jose Rizal @ 150 sites in Zamboanga del Norte. Here are the following sites found in Dapitan City, Dipolog City, and Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte :)

1. Rizal Landing Site, Santa Cruz Beach, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte - Punto del Disembarko de Rizal en Dapitan, Sunset Boulevard. On July 17, 1892, Rizal landed here at 7pm with Captain Delgras and three artillery men. They walked through Sta. Cruz Street with a farol de combate to the Casa Real where he was presented to Don Ricardo Carnicero, the Spanish military governor of the area.



2. Dapitan Plaza, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte - A National Historical Landmark. It was planned and beautified by Rizal during his exile. Acacia trees which he personally planted can still be found in the plaza.



3. Map of Mindanao, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte - A National Cultural Treasure. Rizal created this map as an aid in teaching history and geography to the locals.



4. Dapitan Church, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte - Built in 1883, St. James Church of Dapitan has a historical market which can be found in the exact spot where Rizal stood every Sunday during his exile from 1892 to 1896.



5. Site of Casa Real, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte - The official residence and administration building of the politico-military governor of the district. Rizal lived there from July 17, 1892 to March 1893 when he was transferred to Talisay, now the Rizal Dapitan Shrine. The original building was demolished in the 1920s.



6. Rizal Shrine and Waterworks, Baranggay Talisay, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte - Rizal's estate in Dapitan. It houses replicas of structures he built there for himself, his family, pupils, and patients including the Casa Residencia, Family Kitchen, Casa Redonda, Casa Quadrada, Casitas de Salud and Casa Redonda Pequena among many others. Jose Rizal purchased the property with his prize money from the Manila Lottery and his earnings as a farmer and merchant during his exile. He also built a waterworks system which can still be found within the city.



7. Dipolog Cathedral, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte - Rizal is said to have designed the church altars of the Dipolog Cathedral. Although the facade has been extremely renovated, the interiors remain relatively intact.



8. Rizal Farm, Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte - The farm was acquired by Rizal from Calixto Carreon, a blind patient who offered it for free out of gratitude for his successful treatment. Rizal refused and paid him Php 200 for the land. He cultivated it every weekend with his pupils. The Rizal monument was a gift by one of his students.

Rock the Vote, A Road Trip to Change

Starting today, the Liberal Party will go forth and tie a big yellow ribbon around the Philippines in 17 days before the May 10 Philippine National Elections, as it said in the launching of a concert caravan yesterday morning at Serye in Quezon City Memorial Circle attended by LP’s Senatorial Candidates Risa Hontiveros, Ruffy Biazon, Yasmin Lao, Yo!Noy’s Bam Aquino, and Senator Kiko Pangilinan.

Dubbed as "Rock the Vote: Road Trip to Change," LP’s presidential candidate Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will tie yellow ribbons around the country during a 17-day concert caravan that aims to “bind the youth and inspire them that the the power of change lies in everyone's willingness to participate.”


Roadtrip to Change will go through 18 different cities and town in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It will kick off in Pampanga, then go through Tarlac, Dagupan, Baguio, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Vigan, Laoag, Tuguegarao, Isabella, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, Cagayan de Oro, Manila (EDSA Shrine), and Cebu.

This caravan of change will bring together different people from different fields of art such as visual art, music, filmmaking, photography, mountaineering, dancing, and a lot more. Popular bands and musicians such as Parokya ni Edgar, Spongecola, Kamikazee, Hale, Moonstar88, Itchyworms, Sugarfree and Noel Cabangon are set to perform, as well as different celebrities and personalities will make appearances in the concerts.


As Bam Aquino of Yo!Noy said, “this will be the most high tech part of the whole campaign.” The bus will carry a satellite that will beam Internet and connectivity wherever the bus may be all over the Philippines. The concert will be live-streamed, and new media will also be utilized in distributing content to as many websites and other social networking sites (Facebook, Plurk, Twitter, blogs, etc)

It will wholly be a youth and volunteer led and run caravan that will show the Filipino youth and everyone else how creative and innovative today's people power can be. “The RTV caravan aims to harness people power by highlighting that it is the people who asked Sen. Noynoy Aquino to run for the president, it shall be the people that will ensure his victory in May 10, 2010,” said Aquino.


From the planning, organization, execution, and even to the needs of the people such as board and lodging, food and drinks, gas, talents, were all hosted or provided for by volunteers and donors from all over the place and localities.

I was invited to join the Road Trip to Change concert caravan to cover as a blogger. I wanted to complete the whole concert caravan but I have to be back in Manila for my own commencement ceremonies, as I am a graduating student of Public Administration. I will be joining the second leg and maybe some parts of the provinces in Luzon. I am excited!


Disclaimer: I am not showing bias or favoring the Liberal Party, but I just want to report and share what they are doing in the last few days of the campaign. I reached out to the Nacionalista Party regarding my interest in covering their last few days, but it still hasn’t been confirmed nor fixed properly. I would be willing to cover them or any other candidate or party as well.

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Rock the Vote, A Road Trip to Change was written and published for Blogwatch - The Philippine Online Chronicles