17 martyrs, honored during wreath-laying ceremony
“The administration will continue to preserve the City’s history,” words mouthed by the City Mayor himself, Atty. Eliordo U. Ogena, during the recent wreath-laying ceremony and fellowship luncheon at Koronadal Central Elementary School 1 and Old City Hall, January 8 of this year.
More than the glitz and glamor that Hinugyaw Festival 2024 has brought, the said ceremony was done to commemorate and honor the memory of the 17 martyrs who were victims of cruelty during the Japanese occupation in the then-Koronadal Valley. Seventeen lives were claimed right in the area where the wreath-laying ceremony took place, at KCES 1 – including the family of Dar, Garingo and Lapuz. Families of the 17 Koronadal martyrs graced the event, reminiscing the bloody times endured by their ancestors back then.
The narratives of their families talked about their ancestors’ struggles. It all started when General Paulino Santos left Koronadal Valley, and appointed Engineer Albert Morrow to be the General Manager of the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA). During this time, a Japanese soldier was killed causing Japanese Captain Oeshi to enrage and arrest 28 innocent settlers. Due to this, Engr. Albert Morrow tried to plead with Captain Oeshi to spare the lives of innocent people. However, the captain disregarded the request causing Morrow to take his own life as a symbol of sacrifice and act of valor to cease the killing of the remaining alive settlers. Shortly after, a trusted companion of Morrow in the name of Santiago Odi, also killed himself to show the same cause.
This narrative echoed all throughout the ceremony when the city officials, department heads, Marbel Pioneer Settlers and the families of the martyrs offered flowers to their monument followed by a 21 gun salute as a form of highest honor rendered to the deceased. Joining the celebration to show support are the descendants of the first appointed Mayor of Koronadal – Datu Kudanding Camsa.
In an opening message given by City Vice Mayor Erlinda P. Araquil, MDMG, DPA, she also emphasized the importance of having this kind of ceremony and assured the families of the martyrs that their stories will continue to be known not just by the officials but all Koronadaleños. In return, one of the families of the martyrs, Lou Lapuz, extended gratitude to the government for always commemorating her father’s death.
Following the tribute done in KCES 1 where the bodies of the martyrs were buried, the attendees also paid tribute to the monument of Engr. Albert Morrow and Santiago Odi at Old City Hall. One of the family members of Morrow uttered how everyone can be a hero on their own. “You don’t have to be big, everyone can be a hero of their own,” citing how police personnels and frontliners during the pandemic are all heroes of this generation.
After the wreath-laying ceremony, it was then followed by a fellowship luncheon at Cinco Niñas, where the attendees enjoyed a sumptuous lunch. Koronadal’s remembrance of the 17 martyrs, including Engr. Albert Morrow and Santiago Odi was not merely a reflection on a dark chapter of Koronadal but more so as a resolute declaration to learn from the past and forge a future that remembers the history.