Knights of Rizal

Knights of Rizal

Crest of the Knights of Rizal

Knights of Rizal crest
Motto Non Omnis Moriar
(I shall not wholly die)
Formation December 30, 1911 (1911-12-30)
Founder
and Supreme Commander Emeritus
 Col. Antonio C. Torres
Supreme Commander
 Jeremy Singson
Deputy Supreme Commander
 Diosdado Santos
Supreme Chancellor
 Avelino Torres
Website knightsofrizal.org.ph

The Order of the Knights of Rizal is the sole order of knighthood in the Philippines created to honor and uphold the ideals of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal. Its ranks and insignia are recognized in the Honors Code of the Philippines as official awards of the Republic and is the Eighth Class Rank in the order of precedence of civilian decorations of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the Philippines.[1]

The Order was established in 1911 by Colonel Antonio C. Torres, who later served as the first Filipino chief of police of Manila.[2] The Order was granted a legislative charter by President Elpidio Quirino[2] as a non-sectarian, non-partisan, non-racial civic, patriotic, and cultural organization under Republic Act 646 on June 14, 1951.[3] The Order's insignia has since been approved to be worn by the Philippine diplomatic corps.

Since its founding, the Order has grown to more than 10,000 members belonging to more than fifteen chapters around the world including Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, France, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and the United States.[4] Its international headquarters is located on Bonifacio Drive in Port Area, Manila.

History

The Order of the Knights of Rizal was first organized out of a group of nine men by Manila Police Chief Colonel Antonio Torres on Rizal Day, December 30, 1911 to commemorate martyrdom of Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Exactly a year later, a state funeral was held to transfer Rizal's remains from his family's house in Binondo, Manila for a wake in the Ayuntamiento and finally a burial in Luneta where the Order of the Knights of Rizal acted as the honor guards. Since then, the order has led commemorations of Rizal's birth anniversaries and plays a prominent role during Rizal Day ceremonies commemorating his death anniversary.[5]

In 1951, the order pushed for filing a bill in the Philippine Congress to grant the Order of the Knights of Rizal a legislative charter. Senators Enrique Magalona, Lorenzo Sumulong, Esteban Abada, Emiliano Tria Tirona, Camilo Osias, Geronima Pecson, Jose Avelino and Ramon Torres sponsored the bill in the Senate while Congressman Manuel Zosa of Cebu was the principal sponsor in the Congress.

In the accompanying explanatory note of the bill it said that the bill's purpose to accord to the civic and patriotic organization the same kind of official recognition and encouragement as that accorded to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines by Commonwealth Act No. 111, by granting to its legislative Charter and investing it with the necessary powers to enable it more fully and more effectively to accomplish its goals.[6]

The bill was signed into law by Philippine President Elpidio Quirino on June 14, 1951 as Republic Act 646.

Ranks

Rank Postnominal
Knight of Rizal KR
Knight Officer of Rizal KOR
Knight Commander of Rizal KCR
Knight Grand Officer of Rizal KGOR
Knight Grand Cross of Rizal KGCR

Other Awards and Decorations

Prominent Members

Presidents of the Philippines

Foreign recipients of the Order

References

  1. ↑ "President Aquino's speech at the International Assembly of the Knights of Rizal". 2011-02-17. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  2. 1 2 "The Order of the Knights of Rizal". Manila Bulletin. 2001-06-14. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  3. ↑ "Republic Act 646". 1951-06-14. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  4. ↑ Order of the Knights of Rizal
  5. ↑ "Philippine Daily Inquirer article with a section on Rizal's funeral". 2012-12-30. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  6. ↑ {cite web|url=http://knightsofrizal.org.ph/about-us/|title=Order of the Knights of Rizal History}

External links

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