Milpitas, CA (October 24) -- Filipino Americans in the Bay Area revisited Dr. Jose Rizal, national hero of the Philippines, in a celebration of poetry and music yesterday at the Milpitas Library Auditorium from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Emceed by Associate Director for the Center for Filipino Studies, CSUEB, Michael Gonzalez presented the guests and explained the works of Rizal for the almost 150 Filipino Americans in attendance. Matthew Gabriel, a 6th grader, read the poem of Rizal to his peers entitled Sa Aking mga Kabata (To My co-school children). He was barely nine years old when he wrote the poem and as a young child, he blossomed as a gifted student in the local parish school which he quickly ourgrew.
Edwin Lozada, an AP Spanish Language teacher at Woodside High School and the co-chair of the World Language Department, read Rizal's works: A la juventud, Canto de Maria Clara, and Me Piden Versos.
A graduate from the Oberlin Conservatory and Yale School of Music, Theresa Calpotura played her guitar composition of Rizal's work Pastores de Belen. She has performed and gave master classes throughout the US and her debut CD, Kanta Filipina (Song of a Filipina), was released in 2010.
Rizal's Letter to the Women of Malolos was read by sponsoring non-profit organization Bayanihan Movement, Inc. President Angel Valbuena. The Letter to the Women of Malolos was very significant because it documented the women's petition for women suffrage. At that time, the women had no voting rights under the Spanish regime. The women of Malolos were able to vote, as a result of the women's petition, even ahead than Spanish women.
An adjunct piece of writing aligned to Rizal's writings by another hero Andres Bonifacio, Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa (Love for One's Country), was read by Verne Quiazon.
A stage television and movie actress in the Philippines who took lessons from Luciano Pavarotti's teacher Arrigo Pola when Mr. Pola visited Manila, Philippines, Mercy Oria, sang two songs of Rizal: Kundiman ni Rizal and Sa Magandang Silangan.
The last performance was the reading of Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell) in three languages. Sylvia Blanch read the poem in Spanish; J.J. Francisco in English, and Fredy Guevarra in Tagalog.
The poetry reading was hosted by the Bayanihan Movement, Inc. in partnership with the Filipino American Community at Stanford.
The event was graced by Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves who welcomed and thanked the group in bringing Rizal, through his works, in the City of Milpitas. Prior to the event, the City Council of Milpitas with Mayor Esteves signing, issued a proclamation declaring the month of October a Filipino American History Month in Milpitas. This is in addition to the national proclamation declaring October as Filipino American History Month.
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