Global Granary

Luneta – Rizal Park

Peter and I had so much fun when we went for a holiday in the Philippines during Christmas 2012 to the New Year 2013. We did go to a lot of places especially around Manila.

We went to Luneta, where Peter first visited in 1986.

The place was so different from what we remember. There were so much more people for a start. Every inch of the ground near an avenue of busts of Philippine heroes was occupied.

One thing that never changed was the Rizal monument. Jose Rizal still majestic in his pedestal, looking down on the people, who probably do not know much less care what he, Rizal, did in the past that he had to die heroically by firing squad by orders of the Spaniards.

Soldiers guard the monument 24/7.  The apparent reason for this tradition as told to us by my mother  (a well known urban legend) then was that in the dead of the night, Jose Rizal would take a respite from his vantage point atop the monument and come down to promenade along the beautiful Manila de Bay.  LOL

I later heard that aside from honouring the Jose Rizal,  the 3 stars embellished near the top of the obelisk are made of solid gold.

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When I was young, the highlight of our week was a visit to Luneta on the weekends.  We would run in our best ‘going out’ clothes and shoes in the park.  Luneta was more than just a park, it was a treat to go there.   They used to play great band music at the Grandstand.  It was were you go to imbibe some culture. LOL.