Senator Loren Legarda honored the lasting wisdom of Dr. Jose Rizal at the launch of the German editions of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, held during the Philippines’ Guest of Honor program at the 77th Frankfurt Book Fair from 15 to 19 October 2025.

Speaking before an international audience, Legarda expressed gratitude to Suhrkamp Verlag, Morio Verlag, and the translators and scholars who brought Rizal’s seminal works to German readers.

“Rizal continues to speak to the world, not as a cry of the oppressed, but as an invitation to dialogue between past and present, between nations, and between cultures committed to the common good,” Legarda said.

Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, reflected on the significance of launching the translations in Frankfurt, close to Berlin and Ghent, where Rizal’s novels were first published more than a century ago.

She said Noli and El Fili remain vital today for addressing global issues such as injustice, elite indifference and the erosion of truth.

“Rizal believed that reform begins with the mind. Knowledge is the first act of resistance,” Legarda explained.

She described the launch as more than a literary milestone, calling it “an act of renewal” and “a promise that our stories, when shared beyond our borders, can still change lives and nations.”

The senator urged Filipinos abroad to embrace Rizal’s legacy as a guide for national survival and encouraged German readers to view the translations as bridges of understanding.

Quoting Crisostomo Ibarra, Rizal’s alter ego in Noli Me Tangere, Legarda concluded with a call to conscience: “I seek truth by means of study, for I wish to be human.”

She added, “To learn is to live with purpose. Our shared humanity is strengthened each time we seek truth, justice and compassion.”