Knights of Rizal

Knights of Rizal
Awarded by Philippines
Type Order
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.
Status Currently constituted
Supreme Commander Sir Jeremias Singson II, KGCR
Grades (w/ post-nominals) 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
Established December 30, 1911 (1911-12-30)
Precedence
Next (higher) Presidential Medal of Merit
Next (lower) None
Ribbon bar of the order

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.

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 and three Supreme Trustees.

Activities

Unlike other orders of the Philippines, the Knights of Rizal is an active order. Membership does not only convey privilege but require 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. Jose 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 wearing of the Order's decorations during appropriate occasions, specific courtesy titles also apply.

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. These titles aren't frequently used except in formal ceremonies involving the Order.

Ranks

Rank Post-nominal
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. ↑ "Order of the Knights of Rizal History".

External links

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