MANILA, Philippines – On the eve of the commemoration of Jose Rizal’s death, Malacañang urged the Filipino youth to emulate the national hero and show courage and empathy.

“In these challenging and crucial times, we need equally courageous and principled Filipinos stripped of apathy and selfishness to become modern-day heroes to sustain our fight for freedom from all the ills of society,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on Saturday, December 29. 

Rizal’s 122nd death anniversary is on Sunday, December 30. He was shot dead morning of December 30, 1896, by a firing squad after a guilty verdict for being a revolutionary. (READ: Free train rides on Rizal Day 2018)

Panelo said that even after 122 years, Rizal’s “influence in our nation’s evolution remains relevant today as it was 122 years ago.”

Panelo said that the Filipino youth should take after Rizal’s example and live a life “consecrated to a vision and fulfillment of a great ideal.” (READ: Reading, understanding, and appreciating Rizal)

Rizal, a poet, penned the now famous saying that the youth is the hope of the nation.

“Jose Rizal’s martyrdom should propel us to rise to the challenge of the times and unchain ourselves from our stupor of indifference and race to the finish line of genuine change and prosperity,” Panelo said. – Rappler.com