Dr. Jose Rizal's tallest monument in the world can be found in a park situated in Brgy. Real, Calamba, Laguna in front of the Calamba City Hall complex. This 22-foot tall bronze statue of our national hero has been designed and sculpted by Jonas Roces of Marikina. It stands in a tiled pedestal surrounded by a 15-step flight of stairs. It has been said that the original plan was to build a 16-foot statue, but when Mayor Joaquin Chipeco, Jr. of Calamba heard of the hero's 18-foot tall likeness in Nueva Ecija, he had the plan changed to 22 feet. It is only right his tallest monument should be found in his hometown. Last June 19, 2011, Pres. Benigno Aquino III led the unveiling of our country's newest landmark to commemorate Dr. Jose Rizal's 150th birthday.
It was a coincidence that the height of the statue is 22 feet. The number 22 symbolizing the number of languages and dialects Dr. Rizal used in his lifetime. And the 15 steps that a visitor has to climbed represents a decade since his birth.
No comments:
Post a Comment