PASIG City Mayor Vico Sotto urged residents to draw inspiration from Dr. Jose Rizal’s life and achievements as the city marked the national hero’s 165th birth anniversary.
Sotto said during the city of Pasig’s commemoration on Friday, June 19, Rizal accomplished much despite living only 35 years and six months, citing his studies, travels, organization-building, and writings, including Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which he completed and published before turning 30.
“I thought about it too. Because Jose Rizal, we all know, only lived for 35 years — 35 years and 6 months, something like that. His life was very short,” Sotto said.
The mayor said Rizal’s accomplishments at a young age were a reminder for us to be more mindful of our time, especially amid distractions from technology and social media.
“Maybe Jose Rizal was really just a genius, and we cannot remove that from the discussion. But perhaps in today’s time, speaking practically, we also have many distractions,” he said.
Sotto said people can easily lose time in activities such as streaming platforms and scrolling through social media, adding that Rizal’s life should remain an inspiration to do more for the country.
“I hope Jose Rizal remains an inspiration to us. We look at and study his life and everything he accomplished at such a young age. And I hope he inspires us to surpass what we can do for our country,” Sotto said.
