The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) will lead commemorations marking the 154th anniversary of the martyrdom of priests Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora on Monday, February 16.
Gomburza Martyrdom Commemorated
A wreath-laying ceremony will be held at 7 a.m. at the Gomburza execution site in Rizal Park, Manila. NHCP commissioner Dr. Ma. Eloisa De Castro will lead the rites, joined by representatives from the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), the city government of Manila, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Following the wreath-laying, the NHCP and NPDC, along with the San Vicente de Paul Parish Church, will bless the final resting place of the three priests in Paco Park.
At 8:00 a.m., the NHCP, the National Museum of the Philippines, and the Intramuros Administration (IA) will offer flowers at the Gomburza National Monument along Padre Burgos Drive in Manila.
The NHCP and the Metropolitan Theater will also host a screening of the documentary “Gomburza” at 11 a.m.
Local government units in Manila, Bacoor City in Cavite, and Vigan City in Ilocos Sur will also conduct commemorative activities.
Gomes, Burgos, and Zamora were secular priests arrested and tried by the Spanish colonial government for allegedly supporting the Cavite Mutiny of 1872. They were executed by garrote on February 17, 1872, despite a lack of substantial evidence.
The three priests were key figures in the early Filipinization of the Catholic Church, advocating for secular and racial equality in ministry, education, and social and political rights. Historians recognize their martyrdom as a catalyst for Filipino national consciousness and a precursor to the 1896 Philippine Revolution.
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