Knights of Rizal
Order of the Knights of Rizal Orden de Caballeros de Rizál Mga Kabalyero ni Rizal | |
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File:Knights of Rizal logo.png | |
Awarded by ![]() | |
Type | Order of Chivalry |
Country | ![]() |
Motto | Non Omnis Moriar (I shall not wholly die) |
Awarded for | Men 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. |
Status | Currently constituted |
Supreme Commander | Sir Gerardo V. Calderon, KGCR |
Grades | 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) |
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](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Knight%2C_Order_of_Knights_of_Rizal.jpg/220px-Knight%2C_Order_of_Knights_of_Rizal.jpg)
The Order of 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[2] 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.[3] The Order was granted a legislative charter by President Elpidio Quirino[3] 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.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6] 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. 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.[7]
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.[8]
Supreme Council
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.[9]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Knights_of_Rizal_Centennial_Stamp_2016.jpg/220px-Knights_of_Rizal_Centennial_Stamp_2016.jpg)
Activities
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 Dr. 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 Middle East and Africa Region Inter-School Academic, Talent and Skills Competition held for Philippine schools in the Middle East.
Privileges
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.
Ranks
Rank | Post-nominal |
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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
- Medal of Recognition
- Distinguished Service Medal
- Distinguished Service Star
- Distinguished Service Cross
- Rizal Pro Patria Award
Prominent recipients
Presidents of the Philippines
- Emilio Aguinaldo (1899-1901).
- José P. Laurel (1943-1945).
• Serving with Manuel L. Quezon (1943-1944) and Sergio Osmeña (1944-1945).
- Manuel L. Quezon (1935-1944).
• Serving with José P. Laurel from (1943-1944).
- Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961).
- Diosdado Macapagal (1961-1965).
- Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-1986).
- Corazon Aquino (1986-1992).
- Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998).
- Joseph Ejercito Estrada(1998-2001).
- Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016).
- Rodrigo Duterte (2016-present).
Foreign Recipients of the Order
Juan Carlos I: King of Spain.
Henry Kissinger: Secretary of State of the United States of America.
Anwar Ibrahim: Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Austin Coates: British civil servant and author. Wrote “Rizal: Philippine Nationalist and Martyr“ (1968).
John Ensign: United States Senator of the State of Nevada.
Daisaku Ikeda: President of Sokka Gakkai organization in Japan.
Kiyoshi Sumiya: Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines.
Other Prominent Recipients
- Antonio C. Torres: First Filipino Chief of Manila Police Department (MPD), Founder of the Order.
- Gabriel A. Daza: Charter member of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP). Supreme Exchequer and of the Order.
- Juan F. Nakpil: National Artist of the Philippines. Supreme Commander of the Order.
- Jose S. Laurel III: Philippine Ambassador to Japan. Supreme Commander of the Order.
- Hermenegildo Reyes: Co-Founder of the University of the East. Supreme Commander of the Order.
- 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.
- Carlos P. Romulo: President of the United Nations General Assembly, President of the University of the Philippines, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Secretary of Education.
- Benigno S. Aquino Jr.: Senator of the Philippines. Governor of Tarlac. Husband to President Corazon Aquino, the first female President of the Philippines, and father to President Benigno Aquino III. Known for helping to form the opposition against the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos.
- Delfin Lorenzana: Secretary of National Defense and Chairman of the National Task Force against COVID-19.
- Eduardo de Vega, KGOR [1] : Philippine Ambassador to Mexico, and currently to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union.
- Philippe Lhuillier: Philippine Ambassador to Italy, Albania, San Merino, and currently to Spain.
References
- ^ a b "Republic Act No. 646 | GOVPH". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- ^ "Republic Act No. 646". Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ a b "The Order of the Knights of Rizal". Manila Bulletin. 2001-06-14. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
- ^ {{cite web|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2011/02/17/speech-of-president-aquino-at-the-international-assembly-and-conference-of-rizal-february-17-2011/
- ^ "Implementing Rules and Regulations of Executive Order No. 236" (PDF). Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.
- ^ "Knights Of Rizal | Knights Of Rizal". knightsofrizal.org.ph. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
- ^ "article with a section on Rizal's funeral". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2012-12-30. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
- ^ "Order of the Knights of Rizal History".
- ^ "Knights Of Rizal | SUPREME COUNCIL". knightsofrizal.org.ph. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
External links
- knightsofrizal.org.ph (Philippine Supreme Council Headquarters)
- Who is entitled to the prefix of ‘Sir’?