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

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

Published

1 month 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

11 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.

Dipolog

Dipolog Student Heads to PYLP 2024: A Story of Pride and Promise

Published

12 months ago

April 20, 2024

Jovilyn Taghoy

The city of Dipolog, province of Zamboanga Del Norte, standing out among Mindanao’s provinces, has been selected through aspiring student leaders to represent the Philippine Youth Leadership Program (PYLP), visioning to be the beacon of inspiration in the community.

This achievement fills us with immense pride and honor.

Aynsley C. Tagulob, a resident of Cogon, Dipolog City, a Grade 11 student from the Philippine Science High School in Cogon, Dipolog City, proudly represents the Philippines at PYLP 2024. Carrying the Philippine flag with pride, she journeys to the United States of America, standing among the selected few Filipino youth participants.

The PYLP is a program funded by the U.S. Department of State that empowers aspiring young student leaders from diverse communities across Mindanao. Through a series of immersed trainings and team-building experiences, it capacitates them to pioneer innovative solutions for community development and advocate social justice within their respective regions and provinces.

Additionally, the said program is supported by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs youth exchange programs, aiming to develop enduring connections between the United States and the Philippines. Collaborating with Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois, USA, the program cherishes meaningful partnerships and exchanges to nurture mutual relations.

Upon their return to the Philippines following a month-long intensive training, Aynsley and the other participants will put their self-led projects into action, fostering social progress.

Aynsley Tagulob, daughter of Antonio Tagulob, has a congruent background with her father’s journey. Her father, formerly a farmer at a young age and an Agrarian Reform Beneficiary, currently serves as a Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer in Dipolog City, Polanco, and Sergio Osmeña, of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Province of Zamboanga Del Norte, headed by PARPO II Rizzel Villanueva, dedicated to championing social justice implementation as well.

Aynsley is determined that the said training program will equip her to make meaningful contributions to the local empowerment , especially in areas grappling with economic hardship and poverty.

Written by Jovilyn Taghoy | Credit to: Dipolog City Government