THE National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Museo at Aklatan ni Diosdado Macapagal held an online lecture titled "Rizal Park Luneta: Beautification and Development Through the Years" on Aug. 29, 2024.

The event was streamed live at 10 a.m. on the Museo at Aklatan ni Diosdado Macapagal Facebook page, featuring Margaux Vanessa Decripito as guest speaker.

Decripito serves as a creative arts specialist and head of the Marketing and Business Development section of the Cultural and Public Affairs Division of the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC).

Also known as Luneta, Rizal Park is one of the largest and most historic urban parks in Asia, spanning 54 hectares in the heart of Manila, bordered by T.M. Kalaw Sr. Street and Taft Avenue in Ermita.

Originally referred to as Bagumbayan or New Town, and later Wallace Field, the park eventually took on the name Rizal Park in honor of the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, who was executed there on Dec. 30, 1896. The park was also witness to other significant events in Philippine history, such as the execution of Fathers Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, collectively known as Gomburza.

The event was part of the National History Month celebrations, themed "Salaysay ng Bayan, Saysay ng Bansa" or "Stories of the People, Essence of the Nation."

Observed every August, National History Month was established by Presidential Proclamation 339, s. 2012, to promote appreciation and preservation of Philippine history.

NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research and publications and to preserve historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.