Even under Japanese rule, Rizal Day was an occasion the colonists ordered observed nationally under Proclamation No. 18, signed by President Jose P. Laurel on June 7, 1944.
The event was established for the Kabataang Pangarap ni Rizal (KAPARIZ)., a national youth brotherhood. In his declaration, Laurel quoted Manila’s Rizal Day edict, namely Ordinance No. 18, which hopes ‘to instill in the Filipino youth an abiding interest in Rizal’s life so that they will exert every effort to observe his teachings and follow his examples.
In part, Laurel’s proclamation called for ‘a national observance of a fitting nature of June 19, Rizal birthday, would be an excellent means of focusing the minds of the people, especially the young, on the life and teachings of the national hero; and… that such national observance [is] given a timely and special meaning with respect to the Kapariz movement.’
In Davao City, Davao Times (now Mindanao Times), the Japanese controlled publication, came out with a moving editorial titled ‘A Thought for Today,’ written by its editor, Celestino Chavez, the first elected governor of Davao Province, which goes:
‘We celebrate the birthday and execution day anniversaries of Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero, with all the pomp, ceremony, and grand flourishes we can muster, year in and out.
‘Today, the 83rd anniversary of his birthday, is no exception. Today, June 19, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos paid, and are paying, homage to his imperishable memory, delivering oratorical masterpieces and heaping handsome floral offerings under the shadow of the Rizal memorials dotting the archipelago. It cannot be denied that throughout the ‘2A hours of today the spirit of Rizal reigns supreme, his devotion to the Philippines and things native acquiring more luster with the passage of the years. But what of those who initiated or participated in today’s gorgeous public demonstrations?
‘Can they lay claim, after dispassionate self-appraisal, to having imbibed the immortal teachings, even the fundamentals if Rizal? We do not doubt that there are many whose patriotism and personal integrity can stand any acid test but we are equally sure of the existence of a number whose moral fiber and loyalty are, putting it mildly, questionable. Thus, what price gigantic colorful assemblies if unaccompanied by even just sparks of the burning flame that was in Rizal? Or marred by the elements of apathy, skepticism, or vacillation among the participants? When the spiritual and physical selves do not harmonize, the place of worship itself is defiled.
‘And what after the last polished adulatory sentence has been spoken and the flowers curled up and died?
‘But it is never too late. It is never too late to be worthy descendants of Rizal and the other inspiring figures who made Philippine history, by “allowing ourselves to do the deeds of our forefathers” as the Good Book expressed. It is never too late to adopt new senses of values.
‘Let us live the Rizal way, solidly faithful to our heritages, venerating deeply our precious past, unselfishly loving one another, and above all, loving our country to the death. Let us be the Filipinos Rizal wanted us to be, in thought, in word, [and] in deed.
The observance in Davao was marked by a brief morning march from the City Hall to the Rizal monument of Rizal at the rotunda of Magallanes and Claveria Streets. Guest speakers were city mayor Juan A. Sarenas and judge Rafael Castillo of the Court of First Instance. The attendees included THE superintendent of city schools Agustin Pañares, Natividad Iñigo Oboza, Gregorio Gonzales and wife, and Philippine Constabulary commander Erasto Batongmalaque, public school teachers, and employees of national, provincial, and local agencies.
