José Rizal Monument, 1999
Antonio T. Mondejar
4793 N. Marine Drive, in
the park west of Lake Shore Drive on axis with West Leland Avenue
In 1994, to commemorate the 100th anniversary
of Philippine Independence, local members of the Order of the Knights of Rizal
and Ladies of Rizal began to campaign for a monument in Lincoln Park. Money
from Chicagoans of Filipino heritage was donated to create a recast of a
monument, also by artist Mondejar, that stands at the Rizal Shrine at Dapitan,
in Zamboanga, Mindanao, Philippines. In 1999, a parade was held prior to
unveiling this sculpture of Dr. José Rizal
(1861-1896), a revolutionary martyr and Philippine hero.
Rizal was a doctor, artist, poet,
essayist, novelist and political figure
who was a proponent of independence though peaceful institutional reform rather
than violence. He was the most prominent advocate for his country’s reform
during the Spanish colonial era. He was executed on December 30, 1896, a day
that is now celebrated as a national holiday in the Philippines.
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