' Whe r eRi z al wa sbu r i e d? ' ByRen at oPe r d on ,Sy dn ey , Au s t r a l i a Ea r l yi nt h emo r n i n go f3 0De c emb er1 89 6,mo r et h anah un dr e dy e ar sa go ,J o s eRi z a lwa sl e df r o m For tSant i agot ot hee x ec ut i ons i t ei nt heLune t a,nowRi z al Par k . Awi t nes soft hathi s t or i cev ent ,Eduar doGut i er r ezRepi de,wasatt heLune t aatt hatt i me:‘ t he mor ni ngwasbeaut i f ul butt heai rwasc ool . ’ Des cr i bi ngt hepr oc eedi ngs ,hes ai d:‘ Theguar d, c ompo s edoff o urs ol d i er swi t hdr a wnba y on et s ,a dv a nc edt o wa r d sus .Abo utt h r e eme t e r sbeh i nd t hem c ameDr .Ri z al wi t hhi scouns el onhi sr i ghtandaJ es ui tf at heronhi sl ef t .Ri z al wasel egant l y dr e ss edi nbl a ck .Hewor eawh i t ev es t ,ab l ac kne ck t i eandader b yh at .Hi sar mswer et i e dt oge t h er , e l bo wt oel b ow,b utt h ec or dwa ss uffic i e nt l yl o os et og i v ehi sar msf r e ed om o fmo v eme nt .I r emembe rp er f ec t l ywel l t hatf r om h i sr i ghtar m washa ngi ngas mal ma l bl ac kr os ar y . ’ Wh enRi z al r e ac he dt h ee x ec ut i o ns i t e ,t h ec omp an yo fReg i me ntNo .7 3,ab at t a l i o no fMa ni l a v ol u nt eer s ,andt woc ompan i esofanAr t i l l er yRegi mentwe r eal l r eady . Une xpec t e dl y , Ri z al was ‘ c al m,i mpas si v e,ands er eneast hegr eenpeac ef ul Mani l aba y’ .Whent hemi l i t ar ydoc t orf el thi s pul s e,t hepu l s eoft h epat r i o twh ohassec ondst ol i v ewasnor mal .Thegu nsfir ed,Ri z al ,wi t h s upr emeeff or tt ur nedar oundsot ha twh enhef el l h ewa sl ook i ngatt h ebl ue,c al mc l oud l es ss k y . Af t ert h efi r i ngs quadc ompos edofFi l i pi noshadfi r e dt hes ho t ,t heBr o t her sofPeac eandCh ar i t y r e mo mo v edt hebo dyo ft h ef a l l e nman .Hi sbo dyd i s ap pe ar e dwi t h ou tat r a c e.Do ñaTe od or oAl o ns o wentt oman yaut hor i t i esbeggi ngt hathe rs o n’ sbodybeg i v ent ohe rf orbur i al .Sh ewa sr ef u sed. Theaut ho r i t i esf ear edt ha ti fRi z al ’ sgr a v ewaskno wn,i twoul dbe comeapl ac ef orpi l gr i mag eanda s y mb o lo fma r t y r d om. Nar c i s aRi z al c hec k edal l c eme t er i esl ook i ngf ort hebur i al pl ac eofherbr ot her .I twasatt hePac o Ce me me t e r yt h ats h ed i s c o v e r e da nu nma r k e df r e s hl ydu gg r a v eg ua r d edb yCi v i l Gu ar d s .Th eSp an i s h aut hor i t i ess ec r e t l ybur i edherbr ot her ’ sr e mai ma ns .Af t ert hes ec r e tbur i al ,t hebur i al s i t ewasheav i l y guar dedbyt heCi v i l Guar dsf orfi f t eenda ys ,b yor deroft heaut hor i t i es . Loc at edatt heout erwal l por t i onoft hec i r c ul arc emet er y , t hi spi ti snowmar k edwi t habi gmar bl e wh i t ec r os san df enc edb yi r on.I twasanu nu sual bur i al att hePac oCeme t er y , f o rt hepl a cehad ne v erbeenagr o undbur i al s i t e .Coffinswer ei ns er t edi nt on i c he so nt hei nners i de soft het wo s ur r oundi ngwal l s . T woy e ar saf t e rRi z al ’ ss ec r e tbu r i a l ,s ome t i mei nAug us t1 89 8,h i sr e mai ma n swe r ee x hu meda me nd p l a c edi nanur nma ma debyRo mu mu al d oT .d eJ e s us .Th eu r nwa sde po s i t e da tt h eh ou s eo ft h eh er o ’ s mot her ,T eodor aAl ons o,l oc at edatEs t r audeSt r eeti nBi nondo,Mani l a,f ors ev er al y ear s .I n1912,i n
De c emb er ,t h er e ma i n swe r epl a ce dbe ne at ht h emo nu me nto ft h eh er oatt h eRi z al Par k ,af t e ra s ol emnp ar a def r om Bi n on dot ot h eha l l o we ds i t e . Theol dPac oCe me t er y , c ent r al l yl oc at edatt h ei nt er s ec t i o nofSa nMar c el i no,Padr eFaur aand Per ezSt r eet si nPac o,i sr i c hi nhi s t or y .I t ss ymmet r ys howst hei ngenui t yoft heFi l i pi noar t i s ans dur i ngt heSp an i s hc ol o ni z at i on.I t sownhi s t o r ys t ar t e di n1807whenar o y al de cr eewasi s s uedb y t heSpani s hmonar c hy , p r o vi di ngf ort hecons t r uc t i onoface me t er yi nBagungba y anatt het o wnof SanFr an ci s c oDi l a w,whi c hi sno wt hePac odi s t r i c tofMan i l a.Ho we v er ,t hede cr eewasno t i mpl ement edu nt i l s ev er a ly ear sl at e rwhenanAs i at i cch ol er aep i demi cpl ag uedt hec oun t r y . Do nNi c ol asRui zwasc ommi s s i on edt opr epar et hear c hi t ec t ur al pl anoft hece me t er y . Dur i ngt he h ei g hto ft h ed r e ad f u ld i s e as e,wh enma nyper s on sha dd i e da ndc or p se swe r el i n edupi nt h e s t r eet sawai t i ngbur i al ,t heSpani ar dsdec i dedt ous et hec emet er y ,al t houghi twasunfi ni s hed.The c on s t r u ct i o no ft h ec eme t er ywa sc o mp l e t e do n11Ap r i l 1 82 2u nd ert h ea bl es u pe r v i s i o no fDo n J os eCo l l .I n1 85 9,Fe r n an dod eNo r z ag ar a y ,i n cu mb en tSp an i s hgo v er no r ge ne r a lo ft h e Phi l i ppi nes ,pr opos edt h eenl ar g ementoft hec eme t er yt o4 , 5 00squar ey ar dsandt hecons t r uc t i ono f abi gci r c ul arwal l ar oundi t .AChi nes ebui l derwont hecont r ac tf orP19, 000.Thecemet er yc ons i s t ed oft woc i r c ul arwal l s14f eethi gh;t heout erwal l was10f ee tawa yf r om t hei nnerwal l .Eac hwal l was c o v er e dt hr o ug ho utwi t hab al u s t r a de .Th es ewa l l swe r eemb ed de dwi t hma nyo v en l i k eni c he s,e ac h aboutni nef eetl ong. Ac c or di ngt oo neoft heoffic er si nc har geofi t smai nt enanc e,t heceme t e r yh adatl eas t1 , 779 ni c hes .Ther ewer e558ni c hesi nt hei nnerpor t i on,720ni c hesi nt heout erpor t i on,and501l oc at ed i ns i det heAngel or i o,apl ac ewher er emai nsofi nf ant sandc hi l dr enwer ei nt er r ed. Thegat ei sf or medbyanar c ht ha ts ho we ds i gnsofGr eeki nfl uenc e.Li k eot herpar t soft he gr av ey ar d,t heor i gi nal gat ei sst i l l c ompl et el yi nt ac t ,e x ceptf ort hes mal l pl aqueat op,whi c hi shar dl y v i s i bl et ov i s i t or s . Theo val c hapel ,adj ac entt ot hei nnerwal l oft hec emet er y ,hadac upol ar oof ,andanal t art hatwas or i gi nal l yma deofgol d.Ou t s i d et hec ha pel ,l o cat edonbo t hs i des ,wer et wopa ss age st hatl ed t o wa r d sas ma l l g at e ,a l s oo fGr e eki n fl uen c e,wh i c hwa st h eAn ge l o r i o .Op po si t et h eg at ewa st h e Os s ar i o ,apo r t i onoft hec eme t er yus edasar epos i t o r yo fb one st ak enf r om t hev ar i ousni c hesi nt he c eme t er yt ogi v ewa yf o rt h en ewo cc u pan t s . Th ec e me t e r yi sno w ap ar kan dc omp l e t e l yr e st or e dan dg i v e naf e wr e no v at i o nsanda dd i t i on sl i k e t hedanc i ngf ount ai natt hemi ddl eoft hei nnerc i r c l eoft hec emet er y .I ti sbeaut i f ul l yv i ewedf r om at opt hei nn erwal l .Al l t heugl yol dt r eesha v ebeenpr un ed.Congl o mer at i onsofor namen t al pl a nt s aswel l asme di c i n al pl ant saboundi nt hear e a.
Cr e epi ngfigco v er st hewal l s ,whi l epl ant ss uc hasSanFr a nc i s c o,As par agusKul o t ,andwh i t e fl ower edt r ades cant aar ear r angedbeaut i f ul l y .T r eess uc hasNar r a,Ac ac i a( r ai nt r ee) ,Ri mas( br ead f r ui tt r ee) ,Oc t upost r ee,Let t uc et r eear epl ant edal l ov ert hear ea.Fl owerpot swi t hwander i ngj ew ar et i edu patt heb r an chesoft r eest hats ur r oundt hepi t .Or na men t a lpl ant si n cl ud et h eCa wa y an Qui l i ng,SanAugus t i negr as s ,Cal at hi a( t api sBal i wag)andv ar i e t i esofpal mt r eesandgi antf er ns . Thepar kopensats i xo’ c l oc ki nt hemor ni ngandc l os esat10i nt heev eni ng.I nspi t eoft hes e i mpr o vement s ,t hePac oMemor i al Par k ,i t soffic i al name,i snotpopul aramongl oc al Fi l i pi not our i s t s , unl i k eRi z al Par kwhi c hat t r ac t st hous andsofpr omenader sev er yda y .Bec aus et hepl ac ei ss t i l l unk no wnt oman y ,t h eRi z al Par kDe v el opmentAut ho r i t ywh i c hha sj u r i s di c t i ono v ert hear ea,i n c ooper at i onwi t hot herc ul t ur al gr oups ,ar et r y i ngt hei rbes tt opr oj ec tt hepl ac easoneofMani l a’ s c ul t ur al at t r ac t i onsf orf or ei gnandl oc al v i s i t or st ot hec i t y .T oi ns t i l l i nt hemi ndsoft hepeopl et he s i g ni fi c an ceofPac oCeme t er y , t h eNat i onal Hi s t o r i c al Co mmi s s i ono ft hePhi l i p pi n espl a ceda hi s t or i c al mar k eratt hes i t ewher eRi z al ’ sbodywasbur i ed. Fr o m' Un de r s t a nd i n gJ o seRi z al ' b yRe na t oPer d on ,p ubl i s h edb yMi n orPr i n t s ,Cu bao ,Qu ez onCi t y , 2 01 1. Thi sbooki ss t i l l a vai l abl ef r om ourBook shop.J us temai l
