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Knights of Rizal

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Knights of Rizal
Orden de Caballeros de Rizál
Mga Maginoo ni Rizal
Awarded by Philippines Order's Supreme Council
TypeOrder of Chivalry
CountryPhilippines Philippines
MottoNon Omnis Moriar
Not everything in me will die.
Hindi lahat sa akin ay mamamatay.
Awarded forMen of legal age with good moral character and reputation who received admission upon the endorsement of two active Knights and the approval of the Supreme Council or have performed an outstanding achievement for the Philippines or for the Order.
StatusCurrently constituted, with legislative charter
Supreme CommanderSir Raymundo A. del Rosario, KGCR
GradesKnight Grand Cross of Rizal (KGCR)
Knight Grand Officer of Rizal (KGOR)
Knight Commander of Rizal (KCR)
Knight Officer of Rizal (KOR)
Knight of Rizal (KR)
Precedence
Next (higher)Awards and decorations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Presidential Medal of Merit

Ribbon bar of the order

Knight Insignia, The Order of the Knights of Rizal
Knight Insignia, The Order of the Knights of Rizal

The Knights of Rizal is an Order of Chivalry from the Philippines, created to honor and uphold the ideals of Philippine national hero José Rizal.[1]

The civic organisation[1] of the "Order of the Knights of Rizal" 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, civic, patriotic, and cultural organization under Republic Act 646 on June 14, 1951.[1] Although not a state order, it is the one order of knighthood in the Philippines officially recognized and endorsed by an official act of the national government, and its awards and titles are recognized by the Honors code of the Philippines as official awards of the Republic.[3] The Order is often worn by members of the Philippine government and diplomatic corps. The insignia of the Order of the Knights of Rizal is ranked seventh in the Order of Wear pursuant to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Honors Code of the Philippines.[4]

Since its founding, the Order has grown to more than 25,000 members belonging to 131 active chapters in the Philippines and 61 active chapters around the world.[5] Its international headquarters is located on Bonifacio Drive in Port Area, Manila.

History

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Historical marker installed in 1992 at the head office

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, commemorate martyrdom of Philippine national hero, José 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.[6]

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 Osías, Geronima Pécson, José Avelino and Ramon Torres sponsored the bill in the Senate while Congressman Manuel Zola of Cebu was the principal sponsor in the House of Representatives. The bill was signed into law by Philippine President Elpidio Quirino on June 14, 1951, as Republic Act 646. The Bill constitutes an official recognition of the inestimable value to the nation and the world of Rizal's teachings and the wisdom necessity of inculcating in the minds and hearts of people so they may follow and practice them.[5]

Supreme Council

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As set forth by Philippine Republic Act 646, the general administration and direction of the affairs of the Order is in the hands of a Supreme Council (Board of Directors) of nine members including the Supreme Commander, Deputy Supreme Commander, Supreme Chancellor, Supreme Pursuivant, Supreme Exchequer, Supreme Archivist, Supreme Auditor, Deputy Supreme Pursuivant and Deputy Supreme Exchequer.[7] The Supreme Council Trustees serve the Supreme Council for two (2) years, with maximum of two (2) re-elections as stated in the Amended By-Laws.

The present Supreme Commander of the Knights of Rizal is Sir Raymundo A. del Rosario, KGCR, also the Board Member representing the 7th District of Cavite in the Cavite Provincial Council; with Sir Allan L. Rellon, KGOR, also Vice Mayor of Tagum City as his Deputy Supreme Commander, Sir Mark Roy L. Boado, KGOR, Sir Joel V. Tuplano, KGOR, Sir Frisco S. San Juan, Jr, KGOR, Sir Meliton P. Garraton, KGCR, Sir Arnold Villafuerte, KGCR, Sir Jose Vicente B. Salazar, KGOR, and Sir Rafael Crescencio C. Tan, Jr., KGOR. They were elected during the second e-elections for the Supreme Council Trustees last 26 November 2023.

Knights of Rizal Centennial Stamp

Activities

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Unlike other orders of the Philippines, the Knights of Rizal is an active order. Membership does not only convey privilege but requires continuous participation in the year-long projects of the Order.

Aside from leading or taking an active part in official and diplomatic ceremonies commemorating important dates in José Rizal's life and the Philippine Independence Day, the Knights of Rizal also focus on Filipino youth across the world such as the annual National Rizal Youth Leadership Institute Conference and the annual Search for Jose Rizal Model Students of the Philippines (JRMSP) held every December.

Privileges

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Aside from the wearing of the Order's decorations during appropriate occasions, a specific prefix also applies. Knights of the Order prefix "Sir" to their forenames and add the relevant post-nominal according to their rank at the end of their names while wives of Knights prefix "Lady" to their first names. These apply to both spoken and written forms of address.

The Order's ranks and insignia are formally recognized by the Honors Code of the Philippines (Executive Order No. 236), making the KOR the 7th in precedence. All of its medals and awards are considered awards given by the Republic of the Philippines.

Ranks

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Rank Post-nominal
Knight Grand Cross of Rizal KGCR
Knight Grand Officer of Rizal KGOR
Knight Commander of Rizal KCR
Knight Officer of Rizal KOR
Knight of Rizal KR

Other awards and decorations

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  • Medal of Recognition
  • Distinguished Service Medal
  • Distinguished Service Star
  • Distinguished Service Cross
  • Rizal Pro Patria Award

For Women and Ladies Auxiliary

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  • Teodora Alonzo Award
  • Rizal Women of Malolos Award

Prominent recipients

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Presidents of the Philippines

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Members of Philippine Senate and House of Representatives

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Cabinet Secretaries, Vice Presidents, and Ministers of the Philippines

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  • Fernando Lopez: Vice President of the Philippines. Secretary of Agriculture, Senator, and Natural Resources and Chairman of ABS-CBN Corporation.
  • Salvador Laurel: Vice President of the Philippines. Prime Minister and Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
  • Cesar Virata: Prime Minister of the Philippines.
  • Jose D. Lina Jr.: Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, Governor of Laguna, Governor of Metro Manila, and Senator of the Philippines. Supreme Commander of the Order.
  • Delfin Lorenzana: Secretary of National Defense and Chairman of the National Task Force against COVID-19.

Chief Justices of the Philippines

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  • Hilario Davide Jr.: Chief Justice of the Philippines, Philippine Representative to the United Nations, and Supreme Commander of the Order.
  • Claudio Teehankee: Chief Justice and Secretary of Justice of the Philippines. Supreme Commander of the Order.
  • Reynato Puno: Chief Justice of the Philippines. Supreme Commander of the Order.

Artists of the Philippines

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Philippine Diplomatic Corps

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Foreign Recipients of the Order

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Other Prominent Members

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Republic Act No. 646 (June 14, 1951), An Act to Convert the "Orden de Caballeros de Rizal" Into a Public Corporation to be Known in English as "Knights of Rizal" and in Spanish as "Orden de Caballeros de Rizal", and to Define Its Purposes and Powers, Official Gazette, archived from the original on September 28, 2021, retrieved June 16, 2020
  2. ^ a b "The Order of the Knights of Rizal". Manila Bulletin. June 14, 2001. Retrieved November 27, 2008.
  3. ^ "Speech of President Aquino at the International Assembly and Conference of Rizal, February 17, 2011". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.
  4. ^ Executive Order No. 236 (September 19, 2003), "Implementing Rules and Regulations", Establishing the Honors Code of the Philippines to Create an Order of Precedence of Honors Conferred and for Other Purposes (PDF), Official Gazette, archived (PDF) from the original on April 5, 2023, retrieved May 25, 2020
  5. ^ a b "Order of theKnights Of Rizal". knightsofrizal.org.ph. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  6. ^ Bocobo, Dean Reyes (December 30, 2012). "Why the Catholic Church should apologize to Rizal's mother". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  7. ^ "Knights Of Rizal | SUPREME COUNCIL". knightsofrizal.org.ph. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  8. ^ "PH Ambassador to NZ Charters Knights of Rizal Chapter in Wellington". dfa.gov.ph. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  9. ^ "Mesić dobio važno priznanje za mir, održao dirljiv govor: 'Ratovi nemaju pobjednika'". NACIONAL.HR (in Croatian). February 17, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  10. ^ "Knighthood for Vice Chairman | Royal Commonwealth Society in HK". rcshk.com. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  11. ^ Brandon, Katrina (May 15, 2024). "Local Filipino earns knighthood honour". Latrobe Valley Express. p. 12.
  12. ^ Ashton, David (2024). "What They're Doing Now". Great Scot (171): 104–105.
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