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Our latest as of Thursday, June 5, 2025
~ Filipino artists of note abound in the Greater Toronto Area but only few could be considered heritage-conscious, meaning the creative geniuses who create art that illuminates understanding of history and culture of the people, the homeland and the adopted country, and records the triumphs and accomplishments of generations. Such artistry could be found in the works of The Maestro Romi C. MananQuil, artist and journalist Michelle Chermaine Ramos, and artist Ignacio "Mogi" Mogado, the sculptor behind larger-than-life bronze statue of José Rizal, the Philippine national hero, in the northeastern Toronto suburb of Markham.
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BY FILIPINO ARTIST MOGI MOGADO
José Rizal Statue: An Uplifting Symbol for Filipinos
By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Editor, The Filipino Web Channel
"The monument of a great man is not of granite or marble or bronze. It consists of his goodness, his deeds, his love and his compassion". - Alfred Armand Montapert
TORONTO - This month of June is historically significant to Filipinos in at least two ways: one, the declaration of self-rule on June 12, 1898 against Spain; and two, the birth of Philippine national hero José Rizal on June 19, 1861.
It had taken 37 years - from his birth to his execution by musketry, the last straw in the march to freedom - for Filipinos to break away from over three centuries of Spanish colonization marked by exploitation and abuses of the indigenous people of the islands who, by a twist of fate, had taken the name of their overlord, Spain's King Philip II, to denote their country and themselves, thus Philippines, and the natives, Filipinos.
Rizal's death by firing squad on December 30, 1896 at age 35 had sparked the revolution that led to a short-lived Philippine independence nearly two years later, in 1898. (Video at: JOSE RIZAL: The Death That Changed A Nation).
Both events are celebrated in the Greater Toronto Area with the usual pomp and wreath-laying rituals, and in some cases, impertinent pageantry showcasing what's purported as the most gorgeous ladies around.
But our Filipino artists are deep thinkers. They go beyond the superficial in honouring the past by reorienting our current perception to what is relevant and meaningful to a changing world.
Thus we have Romi C. MananQuil to remind us of a glorious bygone era; Michelle Chermaine Ramos to recognize our major role in our adopted land; and Ignacio "Mogi" Mogado to proclaim we're also a nation of heroes unafraid to face death for love of country.
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Mogado's José Rizal departs from the archetypal José Rizal we knew for the longest time. His larger-than-life rendition of the hero virtually teases us with a polite smile, like saying there's no greater glory than being martyred.
The bronze statue is touted to be the first in Canada of such a grand scale - 6 feet 3 inches tall compared to Rizal's height of 5 feet three inches.
The only other monument of Rizal within the Greater Toronto Area is a bust replica at Earl Bales Park in North York, which was a gift from the Philippine government erected there in 1998 to commemorate the centennial of Philippine independence.
The bust made of cold cast bronze measures 2.6 ft. x 2 ft x1 ft. and mounted on a 6.6 feet granite pedestal. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOmxsqK801Y).
The park's central location and accessibility to public transport made it a good choice as it's also a favourite site for picnics and Filipino community events. So that for the past many years, the community of Rizal believers marks Rizal's birth (June 19, 1861) and death (December 30, 1896) there with all the fanfare it can muster. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvgIudvTEGA).
If distance is not an issue (it is for me), the monument in Markham should be the centerpiece of any Rizal day celebration in the GTA. The image conveyed by the full-size statue is more uplifting for Filipinos and to public perception in general than what the bust exudes.
Mogado did an exemplary job sculpting the statue. In fact, he succeeds where the bust fails in embodying the ideals and aspirations of a people that his Rizal represents in carrying the still-relevant novel Noli Me Tangere, a classic depiction of Spanish abuses of the time.
The monument in Manila, which is also a mausoleum (the remains of Rizal are entombed there), stands out for its grandeur. The exact same thing is replicated in Madrid, Spain. (Video at: The Philippine Hero Jose Rizal in Madrid, Spain). Mogado's rendition captures the simplicity and magnificence even without the obelisk.
There's no doubt Markham's Filipino community will accord the same reverence as their Toronto counterparts. But I'm saying that the high point of Filipino celebrations should be where people could envision us as living creatures and not as an ancient representation of parts of the human anatomy.
Mogado's monument comes alive not just for its full size, actually taller by one feet, but because it is so expressive of the new generation of Filipinos past the era of the boomers. I believe that is what Mogado is trying to say.
Rizal's monument is as much a monument to all the people who helped build it as it is to Mogi Mogado, the sculptor, artist, and journalist. But if truth be told, the structure is intrinsically a monument to all Filipinos in Canada! (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved).
Sent by email:
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this uplifting story, Rom. The very first park in North America dedicated to honor the Philippines’ national hero was created and celebrated in Seattle, Gateway to the Pacific, in the summer of 1978. The bronze bust of Rizal was sculpted by renowned UP Arts Prof. Anastacio Caedo in 1987 and delivered “gratis” by the US Naval Base in Subic through the help of that era’s US Embassy in Manila. Prof. Caedo was our sculpture teacher at the UP College of Fine Arts where Maestro Romi “Manang” Mananquil and I were classmates. (Please mention this to him if you should have a chance). Romi is now a widower and had always been a brilliant student in our class together with National Artist Ben Cabrera.
Best regards from Seattle.
Your numero uno fan in the Emerald City,
Sluggo Rigor
Thanks Sluggo. I will mention it to The Maestro. - Romy Marquez
DeleteSent by email:
ReplyDeleteGracias muchas ulit senor Romy for this timely plug, I reposted in my fb.
- Mogi Mogado