Who designed the
Philippine National Monument ?
The construction of
a national monument in honor of Philippine patriot and national hero Dr. Jose
Rizal was provided for by the Philippine Assembly when it passed Act No. 243 on
September 28, 1901. The monument was to be built from a fund raised by public
subscription. The subscription Committee was composed of nine members, one of
whom was Paciano Rizal, the hero’s elder brother.
The Monument was
not mere structure bearing the hero’s statue. It was also a mausoleum to house
his remains, thus, the design necessitated an expression of solemnity and
soberness befitting a true memorial for a national hero. The committee was given the authority to
offer prizes for a suitable monument and to employ artists and sculptors to
select the most appropriate design. The
committee apportioned prizes of P100,000 and P50,000 for the first and second
best designs respectively.
Two foreigners
bagged the prizes. An Italian sculptor, Carlos Nicoli, cupped the grand prize
but since he could not post the required performance bond , the entry of Richard Kissling of Zurich, Switzerland was
selected to be erected at the Luneta, near the spot where the hero fell to his
death. His design was built and it is the one that stands today at the Luneta.
In the latter part
of 1912, the monument was completed. Rizal’s statue, cast in Switzerland, stood
on a rhombic base of solid granite blocks below an obelisk that rises to a
height of 50 feet. The monument was inaugurated on December 30, 1913. In a
simple ceremony attended by the hero’s surviving relatives, Rizal
remains were transferred from its grave in Paco Cemetary to the new
mausoleum. The Rizal monument which
survived the destruction bought by the last war has stood on that site for 73
long years.
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