We have a strange way of remembering our heroes. We hold commemorations. We make films about their lives. We share their photographs when their stories become relevant again. But is this how we treat the people we claim we will never forget? Sometimes, it begins with something as basic as keeping the hero's name visible.
In Bustillos, Sampaloc, Manila, a commemorative marker for Edgar Mirasol Jopson or "Edjop" now sits amid sacks of rice, plastic containers, tarpaulins and trash. The marker is dirty and partly obscured, making it easy to miss the name of the man it was meant to remember.
Edjop’s marker was unveiled at Bustillos Plaza in 2010, during the administration of then-Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.
Today, the contrast is hard to ignore. And the timing makes this even more striking.
Opened in Philippine cinemas last September 16, 2026, the movie Edjop has brought the story of Edgar Jopson back into public conversation. The film stars Elijah Canlas as Edjop, with Jodi Sta. Maria portraying his daughter Joyette, who produced the film.
Edjop was born in Sampaloc on September 1, 1948. He came from a relatively comfortable family that owned Jopson Supermarket.
In 1970, he was among the student leaders who met Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and demanded that the president put in writing that he would not seek another term. Edjop later entered the labor movement and eventually went underground.
In 1979, he was arrested and tortured, escaped military custody, and documented his experience in a written testimony.
Then came September 20, 1982. Edjop was captured during a military raid in Davao City. He was taken alive to a military camp and interrogated before being executed the following day, September 21. That date has particular weight because it was also the anniversary of the declaration of martial law.
Journalist Joey Nolasco once told that Edjop's killing was viewed as a "gift" to Marcos Sr. on his birthday, and that he was shot with an Armalite, with bullet wounds diagonal from the shoulder to the hip.
Perhaps that is why this marker feels heavier than an ordinary neglected monument.
PHOTO CAPTION:
In Bustillos, Sampaloc, Manila, a commemorative marker for Edgar Mirasol Jopson or "Edjop" now sits amid sacks of rice, plastic containers, tarpaulins and trash.(Photo courtesy of Diego Cagahastian)