Bulacan Vice Governor Alexis Castro led this year’s commemoration of the 164th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal at the historic Casa Real de Malolos, honoring the national hero as a timeless “Huwaran ng Katotohanan” or “Model of Truth.”

In his keynote message, Castro urged the youth to revisit Rizal’s life and works, which continue to resonate in modern times. “Rizal’s courage to stand for truth—even when it cost him his life—is a legacy worth emulating,” he said.

Castro highlighted Rizal’s groundbreaking novels 𝑁𝑜𝑙𝑖 𝑀𝑒 𝑇𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑒 and 𝐸𝑙 𝐹𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑚𝑜, which exposed the abuses of Spanish friars and colonial authorities. These works, he said, laid the foundation for Filipinos’ awakening and resistance.

The Vice Governor also pointed to Rizal’s advocacy for women’s education, particularly his support for the Kadalagahan ng Malolos, a group of young women who boldly petitioned then Spanish Governor General Valeriano Weyler for the right to education. Rizal praised them in his famous letter, “To the Young Women of Malolos,” and later met them personally in Malolos.

The Casa Real de Malolos, venue of the celebration, is historically significant as it was where the first National Day of Mourning for Rizal was held in December 1898 upon orders of then-President Emilio Aguinaldo during the First Philippine Republic. This annual Rizal commemoration in Bulacan is held under City Resolution No. 87-2020, initiated by the Order of the Knights of Rizal-Barasoain Chapter and the Sangguniang Panglungsod of Malolos.

Vice Governor Castro emphasized that in today’s age of misinformation, Rizal’s values—truth, education, and civic courage—remain more important than ever. He called on Bulakenyos, especially the youth, to be modern-day champions of truth, just as Rizal was. (PIA Region 3)