Dipolog

Dapitan pays homage to Rizal’s unsung muse

Published

1 year ago

March 19, 2024

Pamela Joyce Fumero of Philippine Information Agency

Photo by PIA

DAPITAN CITY (PIA) – Sundown; the wind blows through your hair as you step into a courtyard seemingly caught between the folds of time,and just like that, you’re taken back.

Picture it: 122 years ago, a woman who was always in the shadow of her great husband was laid to rest in the distant land of Hong Kong, but her legacy was passed down in poems and stories that survived for over a century.

Josephine Bracken, arguably one of the most famous foreign women in Philippine history, was Dr. Jose Rizal’s common-law wife.

A wife, a homemaker, a woman who lived a relatively ordinary life in Dapitan City with her husband, who paved the way for the revolution that would ultimately free the Filipino people from 333 years of colonization.

But she was so much more.

The youth of Dapitan honor Josephine Bracken through song and dance in front of Casa Residencia, Josephine and Rizal’s home preserved in Rizal Shrine (Photo by: Jether Pausal – OJT)

Josephine Bracken, affectionately called “Josefina” by her late husband, offered her services to the revolution after Rizal’s passing.

Rizal Shrine Curator Sofia Bogolboc cited sources from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on the significant role that Josephine played after the death of her husband. She believed to have tended to the sick and wounded soldiers. She boosted morale and even operated reloading jigs for Mauser cartridges under General Pantaleon Garcia.

She led charges and went into battle, and when the Spanish revolution was over, she became a teacher, still contributing to her late husband’s vision of a future he never got to see.

She fought and served. She died at the age of 25.

Yet for most, all she is known for is that she was Rizal’s wife, a passive figure in history.

Until today.

On March 14, 2024, 122 years after her passing, she was awarded a Posthumous Supreme Commander’s Citation from the Knights of Rizal in recognition of her significant and immense contribution to the life of Rizal and, in turn, her contributions to history.

Knights of Rizal, Las Damas de Rizal, the National Historical Commission, and Jose Rizal Memorial State University officials, members of The Kingdom of God, together with local government officials, witnessed the presentation of the plaque in front of Casa Residencia, Rizal and Josephine’s very own home preserved in Rizal Shrine.

The late Josephine also received flowers from different organizations and locals—a long-overdue tribute to her role in the revolution.

As the sun set and the winds grew colder, the formalities gave way for creatives to honor her in the same way her late and beloved husband once did—through poetry and songs.

In the intimate setting of Balay Hamoy Museum, a witness to her husband’s dear friendship with Don Mariano Hamoy, the youth took stage and dedicated poems and songs to Josephine. Local bands sang of her story, of her relationship with Rizal, and of her strength as a woman who persevered and fought during a time when women were seen as fragile secondary characters.

As we celebrate Women’s Month, her existence and her story continue to remind us of the strength of femininity and the influence women have had on the course of history. She serves as a reminder that women can and should take a stand and fight for what they believe in. (RVC/EDT/PJF/PIA9-Zamboanga del Norte)

News credit to: Philippine Information Agency (PIA)

Dipolog

Now Accepting Applications: Dipolog City Scholarship for SY 2025–2026

Published

4 weeks ago

April 7, 2025

Filman

📷: Dipolog City Government

The City Government of Dipolog, through the Scholarship Program Management Unit (SPMU) under the City Mayor’s Office, is now accepting applications for the Dipolog City Scholarship and Financial Educational Assistance Program for School Year 2025–2026.

This program is designed to provide financial and academic support to deserving students in Dipolog City, enabling them to pursue higher education and achieve their goals.

Important Dates to Remember

Deadline for Submission of Applications: April 16, 2025
Scholarship Examination: April 27, 2025 at ZNNHS Main Campus

Submission of Applications
Applicants may submit their documents to the following office:
Scholarship Program Management Unit
3rd Floor, Cubicle 2, CGSO, Dipolog City Hall

Initial Requirements
Applicants must submit the following documents:

Application Letter or Letter of Intent signed by the applicant
Photocopy of Senior High School Card (1st and 2nd semester)
Certificate of Good Moral Character from the school
Barangay Residency Certification (must be a resident for at least 5 years)
Indigency Certification from the barangay
One 2×2 picture of the applicant
Submit all the above documents to CMO-SPMU for pre-qualification and interview

Note: Incomplete documents or late submission of requirements will not be accepted.

The city government encourages all qualified students to apply and take advantage of this opportunity to access quality education with the help of the local government.

For more information, visit the Scholarship Program Management Unit at Dipolog City Hall.

Dipolog

Php340K Worth of Illegal Drugs Seized from a Drug Suspect in Dipolog City Drug Sting

Published

2 months ago

March 1, 2025

PDEA Regional Office IX

A joint anti-drug operation led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Office resulted in the arrest of a high-value target (HVT) in a buy-bust operation conducted in Barangay Miputak, Dipolog City, on the evening of February 28, 2025.

Director III Maharani R. Gadaoni-Tosoc identified the suspect as Cyril Gumalingan y Melancio, also known as Roldan Tubol, 50 years old, a habal-habal driver, and a resident of Sitio Paraiso, Barangay Galas, Dipolog City.

Seized from the suspect were approximately 50 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated market value of Php340,000.00, android phone, driver’s license, and the buy bust money.

The operation, conducted at 9:12 PM, was a joint effort of multiple law enforcement units, including the Dipolog City Police Station Special Drug Enforcement Team (SDET), Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 9 (RDEU9), Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) Zamboanga del Norte, Philippine National Police – Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG), and the 1st Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Mobile Force Company (ZNPMFC).

The suspect is now in the custody of authorities and will face charges for violating Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), which penalizes the sale, possession, and distribution of illegal drugs.

Dipolog

Zamboanga del Norte joins the International Travel Festival

Published

12 months ago

May 10, 2024

Ginalin G. Ma

The heart of the biggest and most awaited travel fair was hosted by Cebu City through the Cebu City Tourism Office the 9th International Travel Festival 2024 themed “Love to Travel” held at

Pacific Grand Ballroom, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, Cebu City last May 3-5, 2024.

The provincial government remarkably showcased the splendor of Zamboanga del Norte through the Provincial Tourism Office, headed by Mr. Anthony Charles Rotoni, during the International Travel Festival 2024. The ZaNorte team composed of the representatives of the tourism office, namely: Engr. Demetrio I. Nalzaro, Erna D. Baradillo, Kathleen E. Pansipansi, and Shara Dawn S. Sulit whose efforts gained maximum exposure and exceptionally launched the products and services of this province.

ITF 2024 was a much-anticipated tourism-focused event in the country for both local and international exhibitors as well as travelers whose common interests revolve around planning trips and finding the best deals on hotels, cruises, airlines, financial institutions, travel agents, wellness spas, and other tourism-related businesses.

At its inception, the prestigious International Travel Festival was the brainchild of these brilliant individuals: Ms. Juliet Amazona, Sheramie Leung (deceased), Thannya Pino, Matt Poonin, Tim

Tio, and Stephanie Villahermosa. Together, they were on a mission to redefine travel in Cebu, one innovative concept at a time.

Certainly, under the unwavering support of Governor Rosalina G. Jalosjos, the projects and programs of the Provincial Tourism Office persist in embodying the governor’s mandate of “Misyon ko,

Tinuod ng Serbisyo,” elevating the province’s prestige to an international standard.

Ginalin G. Ma / Photo courtesy by Provincial Tourism Office.