In celebration of this momentous event, government units, the academe, and other culture, history and art-oriented institutions have planned grand events for Sunday. Among these is My Rizal 150′s Maligayang Bati, Jose Rizal, an evening of art, music, poetry and fireworks in Fort Santiago.
The Banda ng Maynila (brass band of the City of Manila) will kick-start the event by playing live music. They will be followed by the Ateneo Chamber Singers, who will be performing classics, as well as one song especially composed for the event, on the Main Stage at the flagpole area of Plaza Moriones.

Berklee alums Tess Salientes and Gerard Salonga have also prepared a specially composed musical theme for the event. There will be a fireworks display after their performance.

Camp Suki will be offering kalesa rides, on-the-spot artists who can sketch/draw your portrait (for a fee), and a turn-of-the-century photo shoot complete with costumes.

Gerardo de Leon’s 1961 classic Noli Me Tangere will be shown on one of the walls of the ruins of the American barracks, courtesy of CCP and SOFIA (Society of Filipino Film Archivists) who were responsible for the restoration of the film.

Sipat Lawin Ensemble will be performing an avant-garde  piece wherein they are going to march backwards from Luneta to Fort Santiago doing a reenactment of Rizal’s execution. They will also be doing pocket performances throughout the evening.

Heroes Square will also do their 30-minute play on Rizal and Josephine Bracken inside the Rizal Shrine, which will remain open all night. The play will start after the firework display and the Buhay na Kasaysayan members, dressed in period military uniform, will draw the crowd into Rizal Shrine.

Traditional food from the era in which Rizal lived will be sold by concessionaires Ilustrado, Barbara’s, and Adarna Food and Culture.

The Manila Diamond Hotel is baking a special birthday cake for Jose Rizal, recreating Rizal’s book stand with his Noli Me Tangere placed on top. Rizal’s book stand is being restored by Escuela Taller of Intramuros.

The Lopez Museum will be showcasing  their extensive Rizal collection, and will be on display at the Plaza Armas.

Registration starts at 5:00 p.m., and the program starts at 6:00 p.m. Ticket prices are P100 per adult and P50 for kids below 12 years of age. Entrance is free for guests who will come in period costumes, or dress as their favorite characters from Jose Rizal’s novels.

For more information, please contact:

Lisa T. Bayot
Tel. nos:
(+632) 817-8062
(+632) 894-0505

Maite P. Gallego
Email add: maitepgallego@yahoo.com.ph

Special screenings of feature films inspired by the life and heroism of National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal will be held starting today as part of the country’s celebration of his 150^th birth anniversary on Sunday, June 19.

The event is being organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), together with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), which will be holding special screenings at the Rizal Open Air Auditorium in Rizal Park, Manila.

The list of movies is headlined by the movie Rizal sa Dapitan directed by Tikoy Aguiluz, to be shown today, June 17. The film, which stars Albert Martinez and Amanda Page, presents the hero’s exile in Dapitan where he stayed from 1892 to 1896. It depicts the experiences of Rizal (played by Martinez) in mingling with the locals, his efforts in educating young students, and how he met his “last love”, Ms. Josephine Bracken (Page).

The following day, Saturday, Marilou Diaz Abaya’s Jose Rizal will be shown. The multi-awarded movie, which stars Cesar Montano in the title role, bagged various citations in year 1999, including the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award of the Metro Manila Film Festival, the FAMAS Award for Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography for the Gawad Urian Award. The film shows Rizal’s life and works as a writer, propagandist, lover, friend, brother, doctor, and as a man that inspired a revolution.

Sisa, a 2008 film, will meanwhile be shown on June 19. The movie, which stars Jodi Santamaria, Jay Manalo, Aleck Bovick, and Carlo Maceda, presents the story of the fictional character Sisa (Santamaria) from Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere.

A 15-minute documentary film, Lolo Jose: The Family Carries On will also be shown before the screening of each movie. The documentary was produced by Vibal Foundation, and tells the stories of Rizal from the point of view of his modern-day descendants. Story upon story are layered in a rich collage of history, experience and memory, until Rizal comes vividly to life in all his humanity: as a son, brother, lover, friend, and grand uncle.

These screenings, which are open to the public, are also co-presented by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), Vibal Foundation, VIVA Films, GMA Films, and OnCam Productions.

The Goethe-Institut Philippen invites you to a special film screening of Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere (Gerardo De Leon, 1961) on Monday, June 20, 2011 at the SM Mall of Asia Cinema 1 at 11:00 a.m.

There will be morning cocktails, before the screening, at the Imax Theatre on the second floor at 10:00 a.m.

To RSVP, email cyril.constantino@yahoo.com or program@manila.goethe.org

There will also be a nationwide screening of the film in SM cinemas.

16 and 17 June 2011, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 nn
SM Bacolod
SM Davao
SM Cebu
SM Iloilo
SM Cagayan de Oro

16 to 19 June 2011, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
SM Sta. Rosa
SM Calamba
SM San Pablo
SM Muntinlupa

19 and 20 June 2011, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
SM Baguio
SM Rosales
SM Tarlac
SM Clark
SM Pampanga
SM North Edsa
SM City Fairview
SM Megamall
The Podium

20 and 21 June 2011, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
SM Lipa
SM Batangas
SM Naga
SM Lucena
SM Dasmariñas
SM Bacoor
SM Rosario
SM Molino

Goethe-Institut Philippen is located at 121 LP Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati. For inquiries, you can contact:
840-5723, 840-5724 and 817-0978 or info@manila.goethe.org

For more information, call the CCP Outreach at +63 (2) 832-1125 locs. 1708-1709, or visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.