Philippines: Blanar Unveils Restored Slovak Plaque in Manilla

Manilla, 13 November (TASR) - Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) officially unveiled on Friday in Manilla a restored plaque bearing the Slovak translation of the poem 'The Last Farewell' by the Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, which symbolically links the two countries, the ministry's communications department told TASR on Friday, adding that he also paid tribute to Rizal at the museum commemorating his execution and, on Thursday (12 November), by laying a wreath at his memorial. A plaque bearing the Slovak translation of the poem has been on display for almost three decades at the historic Fort Santiago in the Philippine capital. It was unveiled there in February 1998 to mark the opening of Slovakia's honorary consulate in Manilla. "Jose Rizal is a symbol for the Philippines of courage, patriotism and the pursuit of a more just society, which he championed through the power of ideas and education, not violence. His final poem has been inscribed in Slovak for almost three decades right at the very spot where he spent his last days before his execution. It is a unique symbol of the cultural ties between Slovakia and the Philippines," emphasised Blanar. Slovakia's chief diplomat paid tribute to Rizal's legacy at his memorial in the Rizal Park in Manilla, where this doctor, writer and reformer was executed on 30 December 1896. He also took a tour of the museum housed in the premises where Rizal was imprisoned prior to his execution. In his novels and essays, Rizal criticised colonial rule and social inequalities and advocated for reforms through non-violent means. His execution became one of the catalysts for the Philippines' struggle for independence. He wrote the poem 'The Last Farewell' on the eve of his execution, and today it is regarded as one of the most significant works of Philippine literature, according to the Slovak Foreign Ministry. am