MANILA, Philippines — A wreath-laying ceremony was held to commemorate the 175th birth anniversary of Marcelo H. Del Pilar, led by Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, the Association of Philippine Journalists (APJ)—Samahang Plaridel Foundation Inc., and and the Manila Police District on Saturday.

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Evelyn Quiroz, president of APJ–Samahang Plaridel Foundation Inc., highlighted Del Pilar’s continued influence on the journalism landscape. “His dedication to the truth has guided many journalists over the years,” she said, urging members of the press to live by the values of what she calls the “patron saint” of Philippine journalism.

“In this age where it is easy to spread fake news, let us remain steadfast in exposing the truth,” Quiroz added.

Coinciding with National Press Freedom Day, Del Pilar—who used the pen name “Plaridel”—was a journalist who used his writings to expose the abuses of the friars during the Spanish colonial rule through his “La Soberania Monacal,” or translated as the Monastic Supremacy in the Philippines.

He also co-founded the “Diariong Tagalog,” a nationalist and anti-friar publication, and edited the historic “La Solidaridad,” the publication of the Filipino propagandists based in Spain, which advocated for liberal reforms and representation in the Spanish Cortes.

175th birth anniversary of Marcelo H. Del Pilar commemorated in Manila

In 1889, he defended the Philippine National Hero, Jose P. Rizal’s infamous novel “Noli Me Tangere,” against attacks from friars.