Rizal Shrine, Calamba, Laguna 🇵🇭
03 | 24 | 2026 🎂

On my special day, I visited the birthplace of our national hero, José Rizal, as I reflected on the journey ahead.

When I was young, he was someone I deeply looked up to. Even now in adulthood, my admiration remains not only for the hero who inspired a revolution in our colonized nation, but for the man he was and the Filipino he chose to be.

I have read books about his life and biography. His novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, remain among my all-time favorites. I believe his life and works have shaped how I see the world. From him, I learned that knowledge, skills, and talents can be offered for a higher purpose, for truth, for people, and for love of country.

I first visited Rizal Shrine when I was younger. I even had the opportunity to interview members of a Rizalista community who regard him as a deity.

But now, as I turn 40, I chose to return, this time with intention. I came back to reset, to realign, and to prepare myself for the new chapters opening in my life.

I am entering a new season, carrying with me the lessons of the past, ready to become a better version of myself.

I carry a new dream within me, and I am determined to pursue it. I want to believe that life begins at forty.

Like Rizal, I aspire to use my God-given abilities in the service of others, for His people and for this nation.