04/08/2026
🇵🇭🏡 As Lakambini, I have always believed that history is best remembered not only by reading about it—but by walking where our heroes once walked.
One of the most meaningful moments of my Hong Kong journey was standing at Rednaxela Terrace, where our National Hero, Dr. José P. Rizal, once called home.
Hidden among the bustling streets of Central, this quiet pedestrian lane may seem ordinary to many. But for Filipinos, it is sacred ground.
From December 1891 to June 1892, Rizal lived here with his family while practicing as an ophthalmic surgeon. It was also during this period that Hong Kong became his refuge—a place where he continued his reformist ideals before courageously returning to the Philippines to establish La Liga Filipina.
What fascinated me even more was the story behind its unusual name.
“Rednaxela” is simply “Alexander” spelled backwards, believed to have originated from a Chinese street sign painter who accidentally reversed the letters because he couldn’t read English.
A simple mistake.
Yet today, it has become one of the most historically significant street names for every Filipino.
The original buildings may no longer stand, but the granite steps beside Lyndhurst Terrace remain—almost the very same steps that Rizal climbed and descended more than a century ago.
Imagine that.
The same stones beneath our feet today once carried the footsteps of a man whose ideas awakened a nation.
Historical records even tell us that in February 1892, Rizal paid 35 pesos in rent for his residence at A-2 Rednaxela Terrace—a small detail that somehow makes history feel even more real. It reminds us that before he became the hero immortalized in textbooks, he was simply a man building a life, caring for his family, treating patients, and quietly preparing for a future that would forever change the Philippines.
As Lakambini, moments like these remind me that our heroes are not distant figures trapped in history books.
They laughed.
They dreamed.
They worried.
They climbed these very steps.
And they chose to dedicate their lives to something greater than themselves.
Standing before the commemorative marker, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
What a privilege it is to visit a place where Philippine history unfolded beyond our own shores.
It is proof that the legacy of our heroes extends far beyond the islands we call home.
This History Month, may we continue to seek not only beautiful destinations but meaningful ones.
Because every heritage site has a story.
Every marker preserves a memory.
And every step we take in the footsteps of our heroes reminds us that freedom, patriotism, and love for country are journeys we must continue to walk—generation after generation.
🇵🇭 Ang kasaysayan ay hindi lamang binabasa. Ito’y nilalakaran, inuunawa, at isinasabuhay.
