To All brother Knights,

              Attached is my report for the Rizalian year ending December 31, 2013 consisting of eight pages.

              (Click here to read report)

              I would like to express my profound gratitude to all of you who have made the combined years of 2012 / 2013 
              - fructiferous years for the USA Regional Council  as we have added seven more chapters in the USA region.

             The Regional Commandership, is a very intimidating office, but, with your help, support, and guidance - together we
             were able to embark on it with confidence. Where there is unity, there is strength.
             Dr. Jose Rizal said, “He who wants to help himself should help others because if he neglects others, he too will be
             neglected by them. One midrib is easy to break but not a bundle of many midribs tied together.”

             This coming year 2014, we expect to meet the challenges ahead of us, but if we continue to pledge our mutual loyalty
             and cooperation, we can move ahead with hope and confidence.

             We invite ---we welcome---disagreements and debate, but always in a spirit of cooperation and in the pursuit of our
             common goals, most especially the dissemination of the  teachings, ideals and teachings of Dr. Rizal.

             Again, I am grateful to each one of you – wishing you and your family all of the joys of Christmas, peace, faith, hope
             and love, family and country and a Blessed, Prosperous New Year!

             Rizal is alive in our hearts.  God bless!  NOM

             Fraternally yours in Rizal,

             Sir Tom D. Rodriguez, KGOR
             Regional Commander for USA  

November 12, 2013

To Deputy Regional Commander, Area Commanders and Chapter Commanders,

Even in a nation regularly beset by earthquakes, volcanoes and tropical storms,  Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan international name) appears to be the deadliest

natural disaster on record in the Philippines.  Many of our kababayans are willing to help, to donate something to alleviate the sufferings of those affected

 by  typhoon Yolanda.

Many of the members of   our Order are intending to give donations.  I know that there are already some members or chapters in the USA, who had made

some donations  through non-governmental disaster relief (s)   but those who  have not done it yet  and are intending  to donate,  I would suggest that in

times like these, we the Knights of Rizal, must be unified in giving in the name of  the “Knights of Rizal USA.”  But those who have already donated but

are still willing to give a donation in the name of the Knights of Rizal are still welcome to do so.

Our donations will be channeled through the Jacksonville Chapter Knights of Rizal, a 501©(3) non-profit tax exempt organization, so any donor can

claim tax deduction  in their own personal income tax return.   Please send your donations  ASAP to the contact persons below.  Don’t forget to indicate

in your  check  memo that it is for the typhoon Yolanda.

The check(s) are made payable  to: Knights of Rizal of Greater Jacksonville, Inc.
Memo: For Typhoon Yolanda Relief Campaign

For donors income tax record purposes: EIN 59-3020764

Mailing Address:

Sir Eddie Limon, KGOR
OKOR Overseas Representative
3037 Cypress Creek Drive E.
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

Please give generously.  The Bible says, “It is better to give then to receive.” 

Please send me a copy of your email regarding your respective donation(s)  for record purposes.
Thanks a million.

Nom Omnis Moriar!  God bless us all.
Sir Tom D. Rodriguez, KGOR
USA Regional Commander

November 13, 2013

Dear Brother knights and Ladies
The collected funds will be deposited to a sub-account of the Knights of Rizal of Jacksonville Inc.'s bank account and will be sent to either the commission on Overseas Filipinos'

Lingkod sa Kapwa Filipino (LINKAPIL) Program's dollar account with the Development Bank of the Philippines, or NGO's that has solid reputation for transparency and

accountability, e.g. Gawad Kalinga 1World and others.

Additionally, if anyone decides to gather non-perishable items like clothes, shoes, slippers, dry goods, hygiene supplies, contact your local freight forwarding companies if

they'll sponsor a balikbayan box or give you a shipping fee discounts. The only drawback to this is that it'll take months before the goods arrives to its destination. Nonetheless,

it should be considered as a secondary at this time since time is of the essence for the victims who needs the relief items now.

However, may I suggest that at this time we should focus on cash donations so that the local agency that will receive our donation will be able to purchase the necessary items

immediately.

Thank you all for your support and in the words of our national hero Dr. Rizal, "ang hindi lumilingin sa pinanggalingan as hind makakarating sa paroroonan" or words to that

effect.

God Bless and include our kababayans who were in one way or another affected by this disaster of apocalyptic proportion.
Non Omnis Moriar!

Sir Eddie Limon, KGOR
OKOR Overseas Representative
Deputy Supreme Pursuivant
Cell (904) 8003-4626
 

Press Release: October 7, 2013

We are pleased to announce in a press release, Sir Judge Tom D. Rodriguez's account of the 4th Canada Regional Assembly,

held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada last August 31 thru September 2, 2013.

To read the Press Release (Click here)

To read Sir Judge Tom Rodriguez's speech (Click here)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Press Release: June 27, 2013

We are pleased to announce in a press release,  AZKOR Inc.’s first recipient of it's scholarship grant, which was presented on

June 22, 2013 to Rafael M. Ablao III,  during the celebration of the 152^nd birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal.

            Sir Judge Tom D. Rodriguez, KGOR
           USA Regional Commander

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4TH USA REGIONAL ASSEMBLY IN HAWAII – A SUCCESS!     (Press Release Jan. 23, 2013)     

  The delegates to the 4^th USA Regional Assembly and Conference of the Order of the Knights of Rizal,

  held at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 1-3, 2012     with the theme – “Rizal’s

  Legacy: Its Implications to Nation Building,” not only had  their minds  enriched by the array of distinguished

  speakers but had their emotional and physical bodies relaxed when they were treated by the host chapter,  Hawaii

  Chapter to the USS Arizona Memorial Tour, the Filipino Community Center Tour, and the Paradise Cove Luau.

  The Hawaii chapter as a host was lucky  because for  the first time in the history of the Order’s International

  Assembly or Regional Assembly held outside of the Philippines that almost all of the members of the Supreme

  Council were in attendance, namely:  Sir Reghis Romero II, KGCR, Supreme Commander; Sir Jeremias “Jerry”

  Singson, KGCR, Deputy Supreme Commander; Sir Diosdado Santos, KGOR, Supreme Exchequer; Sir Rey Malig,

  KGOR, Supreme Auditor; Sir Carlos “Choy” Arnaldo, KGOR, Deputy Supreme Exchequer; Sir Eddie Limon,

  KGOR, Deputy Supreme Pursuivant, and former Regional Commander for USA.

  Sir Jerry Singson, led the conferees, in reciting the Rizalian Pledge, which was followed by the welcome remarks

  of  Sir Raymund Liongson, KCR, chapter commander of Hawaii.

  Before the Supreme Commander, Sir Reghis Romeo II delivered his Supreme Commander’s Message, he was

  introduced by Sir Diosdado Santos, Supreme Exchequer. The Supreme Commander Sir Reghis , spoke on the

  theme of “Keep Rizal Alive in Every Filipino ,” or “Buhayin si Rizal sa  Bawat Pilipino.“ On the third day of

  the conference, based on the Supreme Commander’s Strategic Plan, a   workshop was conducted with four goals -  

  how to increase membership in the Order of the Knights of Rizal, how to deepen knowledge about Dr. Rizal, how

  to improve communications,  and how to initiate projects.  According to Sir Serafin “Jun” Colmenares, of Hawaii

  Chapter, and the Area Commander for Western USA, the workshop produced “a number of ideas for the Supreme

  Council to consider, not only for the strengthening the Knights of Rizal as an organization, but for improving the

  work that it does in propagating Rizalian ideals and promoting national development in the Philippines.”

  Sir Paul Cortes, KR, Deputy Consul General and Acting Head of Mission, Philippine Consulate General in Hawaii

  delivered an inspiring speech.

  The keynote speaker on the second day was Dr. Belinda Aquino, Professor Emeritus, University of Hawaii who spoke

   on “Rizal’s Vision: Building the Filipino Nation.” She was followed by five more speakers.  Dr. Patricio Abinales,

   Professor, University of Hawaii talked on “The Importance of the Fili in Rizal’s Political Thought.” Dr. Aurelio Agcaoili,

   Professor, University of Hawaii discussed, “Rizal and the Virtues of Diversity and Multiculturalism.”  Dr. Lilia Santiago,

   Professor, University of Hawaii, on the other hand dealt with the topic of “Rizal and the Role of Women in National Building,”

   with reaction from Dr. Vina Lanzona, Professor and Director, UH Center for Philippine Studies.

   Two young people, Jeffrey Acido, a University of Hawaii Board of Regents, and Riz Donna Almagro, Keiki O Ka Aina

    Family Learning Center took turn in discussing “Rizal and the Role of the Youth in Nation Building.”

   During the Gala Night, a skit was presented by the delegates from New Jersey Chapter,  “The Trial of Dr. Jose Rizal.”  

   The guest speaker that evening was Undersecretary Mary Grace Ampil-Tirona, Executive Director , Commission on

   Filipinos Overseas.

   One of the highlights of the assembly was the 2^nd Dr. Jose Rizal Award for Peace which was presented to Dr. Jorge Camara

   in recognition of his accomplishments as an ophthalmologist, educator, humanitarian and community leader.  The award is

   given annually by the Knights of Rizal-Hawaii Chapter to honor Dr. Jose P. Rizal. It is awarded to a person who exemplifies

   the life and teachings of the Philippines foremost national hero. The Rizal award  is open to all nationalities residing in Hawaii,

   male and female. The candidate must be nominated by a least three reputable civic, professional or community organizations,

   and must submit a nomination form detailing his/her accomplishments, the impact of said achievements on the community, and

   how such achievements promote the ideals and teachings of Dr. Jose Rizal. The nominee must show exceptional leadership,

   achievement, service and advocacy in the promotion of change through peaceful means, intercultural understanding, social justice,

   and democratic principles.

   Sir Eddie Limon, KGOR  made his last report as the USA Regional Commander on the first day of the conference and was

   introduced by Sir Randy Fletcher, KCR, chapter commander of Greater Jacksonville chapter. On the third day, he turned over the

   regional command to Sir Tom D. Rodriguez, KGOR,  of Arizona. Effective Sept. 3, 2012, Sir Tom became the USA Regional

   Commander while Sir Francis Sison, KGOR, of New Jersey is the Deputy Regional Commander.

   The delegations from the Arizona Knights of Rizal were Sir Conrad Ballecer, Jr., KCR, Deputy Area Commander for Western

   USA, and his wife, Lady Amy; Sir Manny Torres, KCR, immediate past Chapter Commander, and his wife, Lady Carol; Sir

   Rene Borromeo, KOR, Chancellor, and Lady Jean Zubieta; Sir Bernabe Rodriguez, Sr., KCR, Trustee, and his wife Carlita; 

   Sir Romeo Balasta, KOR, and his wife Lady Ma. Trinidad; Sir Efren Martin, KOR, Deputy Chapter Commander and his wife,

   Lady Joy; and Sir Tom D. Rodriguez, KGOR, USA Regional Commander, and his wife, Lady Fe.