31/08/2026
On this 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲, we remember 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 whose names were inscribed on the 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐠 𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐠𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐢. Among those remembered are 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐥𝐚 ‘𝟔𝟕-𝐂, 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐫. ‘𝟔𝟗-𝐀, 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐠 ‘𝟕𝟑-𝐂, 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐉𝐫. ‘𝟕𝟒-𝐃, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐳 ‘𝟕𝟒-𝐀.
𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐥𝐚 (“𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲”) ‘𝟔𝟕-𝐂 (January 17, 1950 - February 18, 1974) was an editor of the Philippine Collegian and later served as national president of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, he championed committed journalism and encouraged fellow students to engage with the country’s pressing issues. His membership in radical organizations such as Kabataang Makabayan and Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan molded Brod Tony’s thinking. After Martial Law was declared in September 1972, Brod Tony left for Panay, wanting to return to his roots and give back what he had learned. He was killed in 1974 when government troops attacked the hut where he and his comrades were staying in a remote village situated on the common border between Aklan and Capiz provinces.
𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐫. (“𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐲”) ‘𝟔𝟗-𝐀 (April 6, 1952 - May 4, 1974) was a passionate student leader who was his school’s most outstanding student from first grade through high school. He later entered the University of the Philippines as a political science major and became involved in several organizations, among them the UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity. Brod Joey participated in the demonstrations during the First Quarter Storm, including the student rallies in Mendiola in January 1970. In July 1971, he left the university and went to the jungles of Isabela to join the underground movement. He served until he was killed in a battle with government forces in San Mariano, Isabela in May 1974.
𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐮ñ𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐠 (“𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥”) ‘𝟕𝟑-𝐂 (July 14, 1950 - March 21, 1975) was an excellent student who graduated salutatorian of his high school class. He became involved in social action work among poor communities in Barangka, Marikina and was later arrested in 1971 for putting up posters in Marikina. He was arrested again following the declaration of Martial Law in 1972 and detained at Fort Bonifacio. After his release in April 1973, Brod Bill enrolled at the University of the Philippines to study history. He joined the UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity and became involved in university life, but his stay at UP was short-lived. In September 1974, Brod Bill left for the countryside to join the underground. In March 1975, he was with a team of guerrillas in Villa Rey, Echague, Isabela, when they were attacked by government troops. Four of his comrades were killed, while Brod Bill was wounded in the leg. He urged the others to leave him behind so he could cover their escape. Apparently captured alive, he was later found dead bearing marks of severe torture.
𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐉𝐫. (“”𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐞”) ‘𝟕𝟒-𝐃 (May 2, 1954 - March 22, 2013) was an academic, anthropologist, artist, and organizer who became involved in activist struggles during the Marcos regime. At the University of the Philippines, he joined campaigns for student rights, worked with the revived Philippine Collegian, and became involved in the struggles of the urban poor and the batilyo workers in Navotas. In Isabela, Brod Abe worked with the Diocese of Ilagan’s Social Action Center (SAC), where he helped document human rights violations and the struggle of thousands of farmers for their land. In July 1982, he was arrested with other activists in Bayombong, Nueva Ecija, in what became known as “Vizcaya 13,” and was detained until his release in 1985. After the fall of Marcos’ dictatorship, Brod Abe continued his academic and public work, earning a PhD in Anthropology and pursuing projects focused on indigenous communities until his death in 2013.
𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 “𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬” 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐳 (“𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬”) ‘𝟕𝟒-𝐀 (April 4, 1955 - May 7, 2007) joined the Student Alliance for Nationalist Democracy (STAND) in 1971 while still in high school and later became active in the UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity and the Political Science Club at the University of the Philippines. After martial law was declared, he helped organize students at UP and became a key figure in student activities from 1972 to 1976. Brod Jess also worked with the urban poor in Tondo, helped coordinate the 1978 electoral campaign, and organized protest actions and student gatherings in the years that followed. In 1983, he was given the task of organizing students across the country, leading thousands of students to take part in protests against Martial Law. In 1986, he returned to public life and continued working with various political and community groups until his death from lung cancer in 2007.
The lives of 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲, 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐲, 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬 remind us that heroism takes many forms; standing with the oppressed, serving communities, defending the truth, and choosing to act when it’s easier to be silent. We remember not only them, but also the many others who stood and fought for a better country. Some have their names inscribed on the Wall of Remembrance, while others remain unnamed. On this National Heroes Day, we remember both those whose names are known and those whose names may never be known, but whose lives were also part of our country’s history.
Alay sa sambayanan.
