A glimpse of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere in 2025 FACC Gala this Oct. 25


 By Susan Palmes-Dennis

ROCKINGHAM, North Carolina— It’s full steam ahead for the 36th Annual Gala of the Filipino American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC) scheduled on Oct. 25, 2025 at the Le Mèridien Charlotte Hotel here in North Carolina as the event highlights the cultural significance of Dr. Jose Rizal’s magnum opus ‘Noli Me Tangere.’ 


Already FACC president Marissa Olarte is heavily promoting the 36th FACC Gala in all her social media posts that were shared by FACC’s board of directors. Based on what I heard, the tickets are selling really well and I thank gala chairperson Edelweiss Vogel for giving me a sneak peek into the gala through a short video (see below). 


As what she told me, they looked to Dr. Jose Rizal’s immortal epic novel Noli Me Tangere for inspiration. Vogel, a Charlotte-based Filipino-American visual artist and educator said they want to bring Dr. Jose Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere to life through art, fashion, music, and performance and the 36th FACC Gala is one such fruitful venue for exploration.

When I asked why they chose Noli Me Tangere, Vogel said it came out as a result of brainstorming of the FACC’s board of directors. She said Noli Me Tangere (‘Touch Me Not’) is bold, relevant, and deeply rooted in the identity of Filipinos living in the Philippines or who migrated to other countries. 


Vogel considers Noli Me Tangere not just an ordinary story but a statement, a timeless reminder of courage, truth, and awakening, with an educational component that continues to resonate across generations.


As the country’s official national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal is a Renaissance man who specialized in the medical sciences, engineering and literature to boot. It was through his novels Noli Me Tangere and his follow-up El Filibusterismo that Rizal established his status as a Filipino patriot. And it was Rizal’s martyrdom cemented his legacy for generations of Filiipinos to come.


Vogel mentioned Chapter 16 of the novel which dramatized the life of housewife Sisa, a tragic character whose life of domestic abuse was compounded by the loss of her two sons.


She said Noli Me Tangere is a metaphor for the painful cancer of social ills that plagued colonial Philippines then and even now—a condition so severe that any attempt to touch it causes pain. 


Anyway Vogel said the 36th FACC Gala’s theme entitled ‘Sulyap sa Noli’ (A Glimpse of Noli) will immerse guests in a curated experience blending 19th-century Philippine elegance with modern artistic interpretations, creating a bridge between past and present.


Also included in the program is the announcement of the winners of the Ultimo Adios declamation contest as well as a contemporary dance performance on Filipina identity from a professor at the UNCC theater department. 


Olarte and Vogel assured the Filipino-American community in the Carolinas that the 36th FACC Gala will be a night to remember. More details on the event will be announced soon.  For tickets visit now FACC Carolinas.org. 




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