DUMAGUETE CITY — On August 1, 1896, Dr. José Rizal stopped briefly in Dumaguete on his way from exile in Dapitan to Manila. He was executed at Bagumbayan (now Luneta) on December 30 of the same year. Since September 2024, that visit has been marked by a bronze monument at Pantawan People’s Park on Rizal Boulevard, a short walk from the shore where Rizal is remembered as having landed.
The monument
BNNO reported the monument’s details before the unveiling. It is a life-size, 8-foot bronze sculpture made of all-weather materials. It stands next to the flagpole flying the Philippine flag, on a granite pedestal facing toward Dapitan. A private donor gave the monument, and a marker recognizing the donors was to be placed on it. The city said at the time that the statue would add to the familiar view of the boulevard. Civil works continued through weekends to meet the target date.
The unveiling: September 30, 2024
The city invited the public to the unveiling at 5:00 PM on Monday, September 30, 2024. BNNO streamed and photographed the evening. The program included a fireworks display and the participation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. The next day, BNNO reported that the new Dr. José Rizal monument had been unveiled at Pantawan.
A heritage corner on the waterfront
The monument is one of two heritage features at the park. Nearby, a recreated ship Victoria holds the 17th Historical Panilongon (Negros) Marker, one of the quincentennial markers commemorating the first circumnavigation of the world by the Magellan–Elcano expedition. When Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco toured the park in February 2025, the bronze Rizal and the Panilongon marker were described to her as its heritage component. The Victoria site was described as the first-place winner in the National Search for the Best Site Development of the quincentennial markers.
Rizal Day 2024
The monument hosted its first Rizal Day three months after the unveiling. On December 30, 2024, the 128th anniversary of Rizal’s martyrdom, the city held a ceremony at the monument with the Philippine Army and the Department of Education, along with government officials, youth leaders and civic groups. Former Bais City Mayor Karen Villanueva gave the keynote address. She said Rizal died so Filipinos could live in freedom and urged listeners to follow his courage in challenging abuses, corruption and injustice. The national theme that year was “Rizal sa Bagong Pilipinas: Buhay at Aral, Aming Nilalandas.”
August 1: remembering the visit
On August 1, 2025, the 129th anniversary of Rizal’s arrival, the Knights of Rizal – Negros Oriental Area held a commemoration at Pantawan People’s Park and at Bethel Guest House, near the shore where Rizal stopped. BNNO carried the ceremony live, with messages of remembrance and reflections on the visit.
Visiting
The monument stands in the open park along Rizal Boulevard. The Dumaguete Tourist Information Kiosk is nearby, in front of Bethel Guest House. See our guide to Pantawan People’s Park for the other landmarks. For the history of the park itself, see BNNO’s editorial “Adto ta sa Pantawan” and our timeline of the shoreline project.
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