A Monument to the Philippine Revolution  By: Naveen Marasinghe
During the 1800s, most of Manila’s social and commercial
interactions were solely within the Intramuros. However, a tiny
area about the southern part of the walls was marked out to
thwart the often patriotic attacks from the locals. The region
was called Luneta due to its lunar appearance and the park was
called Bagumbayan, meaning ‘new town’ in English. Later on it
came to be known as Luneta.  Luneta perhaps holds the facts
related to some of the most crucial parts of the Philippine
history. Prominently, this includes the execution of Dr. Jose
Rizal (Dec 30th 1896). His death made him a national martyr and
hero in the Philippine revolution. As a tribute to his
sacrifice, the Bagumbayan Park was christened Rizal Park.  The
name Luneta is derived from the word lunette. It was believed
that the park was of the shape of a half moon, located adjacent
to a Spanish fort and served well as a protection from the local
attacks. It houses the Rizal monum