15 Kalakbay Rizal finishers awarded

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Tourism (DOT) awarded the top 15 finishers of the Lakbay Jose Rizal@150 Heritage Trail project, which was launched in May 2011 by a committee composed of the DOT, National Parks Development Committee, Intramuros Administration, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Heritage Conservation Society, and Cebu Pacific as major sponsor.

“This celebration is a dramatic example of a different kind of fun,” said Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr. “With all of our national hero’s monuments and commemorative sites not only in the Philippines, but all over the world, Jose Rizal has remained the single most important memory in our history.”

The Lakbay Jose Rizal@150 Heritage Trail, an initiative to support heritage and cultural tourism, aims to encourage people to visit places of interest relevant to Dr. Jose Rizal’s life. Through a passport rubber stamp project and a heritage trail to follow, the DOT has been encouraging both Filipino and foreign tourists to learn about the journey and heroism of Rizal.

“Do not hesitate to share Rizal with the world because the world can surely appreciate what he did, and what he fought for, which is justice and freedom. Truly, the world can see what heroism can achieve,” Jimenez added.

To date, there are 54 tourists who have visited all 27 Rizal sites around the Philippines. The project will run until June 19, 2012, with the DOT planning to develop it as a regular tour.

As a final note, Jimenez shared, “We, together with those who are all over the world who commemorate and remember Jose Rizal, are living proof that the most important heritage site of Rizal is indeed in our hearts.”