On Dec. 30, the Filipino community members will come together at noon to hold a press conference and park clean-up day to commemorate Rizal Day (which celebrates the national Filipino hero, and marks the anniversary of Rizal’s execution in 1896 for inflaming the fight against Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines.
In October of this year, during Filipino American History Month, a copper plaque and time capsule were taken from the Rizal monument at Dr. Jose Rizal Park, sparking a coalition, SIKLAB, Samahan ng Kilusang Lumalaban Alay sa mga Bayani (Coalition of Movement in Defense of Heroes), to demand an immediate replacement from the City of Seattle. Additionally, the community added demands to address root causes of the vandalism that happened at the park, including more services to address the economic crisis in the city.
The City of Seattle has made promises to the Filipino community members that the plaques will be replaced but have yet to provide which budget it would be provided from or a timeline.
In addition to a clean-up party and press conference, the Filipino community will also hold a community celebration at a historical Filipino church in Beacon Hill, the Beacon United Methodist Church. The event starts at 6 p.m. tonight and will further commemorate Rizal Day.