THE 15 BICOLANO MARTYRS

This day in Bicol history, on January 4, 1897,

eleven patriots from the Bicol Region were
executed in Luneta after having been accused of
cooperating with the Katipunan during the
Philippine Revolution against Spain. They are
among the “Quince Martires del Bicolandia”.
The other four of the fifteen either died in
exile and a fourth one, Leon Hernandez, expired
inside the Ciudad de Nueva Caceres (now Naga
City) prison even before any of all those
arrested in 1896 could face trial in court.
The Fifteen Bicol Martyrs include:
• Fr. Inocencio Herrera, Fr. Gabriel
Prieto, and Fr. Severino Diaz - who were
secular priests
• Florendo Lerma - a music professor,
organist, essayist and playwright
• Manuel Abella and Domingo Abella - who
were father and son
• Ramon Abella - who was exiled to Bioko
Island
• Mariano Melgarejo and Cornelio Mercado - who
were public works employees
• Tomas Prieto - a pharmacist
• Camilo Jacob - a photographer
• Macario Valentin - a night watchman,
• Leon Hernandez - a teacher who died under
torture,
• Mariano Arana - a government surveyor who was
exiled to Bioko Island,
• Mariano Ordenanza - a clerk who was sentenced
to 20 years of imprisonment.
One of the martyrs, Camilo Jacob, was
eventually declared as an “Albayano Hero”
having been born and raised in Polangui,
Albay.

Only eleven of these martyrs were executed

while the rest died in jail or in exile in
Spain or in Africa. The four who were not
executed are: Mariano Ordenanza, Leon
Hernandez, Ramon Abella, and Mariano Arana.
The 15 Bicol martyrs lived and died in the same period in history
as the famous GOMBURZA — the three priests composed of Fathers
Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora. Even then, the
popularity of these Bicolano martyrs pales in comparison with the
three priests — not even among their fellow Bicolanos. Those who
were executed were even shot on the same spot that Jose Rizal died
of musketry five days earlier. Despite these, their names were
buried in the shelves of history.
Attempts to immortalize their heroic acts started when a monument
was dedicated for them on November 30, 1923 in Naga City. The spot
where the monument stands is now known as Plaza Quince Martires. On
Feb. 20, 1940, the former director of the Department of Education,
Celedonio Salvador, also gave an official recognition to these
martyrs through Circular No. 15, s. 1940 which advised all division
superintendents on the inclusion of significant events in
Philippine history and the observance and study of “The Execution
of the Filipino Martyrs from the Bicol Region.” On June 12, 2014,
President Benigno S. Aquino III also led the flag-raising and
wreath-laying rites for the Independence Day celebration in
commemoration not only of the Bicolano martyrs but also of all
those who sacrificed their lives for the country
THANK YOU!