FRANCISCO R. OSORIO
(1863-1896)
Cavite Martyr
Francisco Osorio, one of the “Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite,” was born on October 4, 1863 in
Cavite City to Antonio Osorio (1833-1908) and Petrona Reyes.
His father was Christianized Chinese whose original name was Tan Kim Ko. He was a
successful merchant who had established his own trading firm, The Yok Tok Lin & Co., in the
province. He also engaged in cattle raising. His ranch in Silang and Mendez supplied meat to the
people of Cavite. Later on, he branched out to shipping, and as an agent of Ynchausti & Co., he
provided materials for the Cavite arsenal. His business concerns made him a very wealthy and
influential man in the province.
Osorio studied at the Ateneo Municipal. He took up bookkeeping, a course that proved
useful when he started helping out in his father’s business. He engaged in the buying and selling of
coffee and abaca raised by Cavite farmers. Later, he accepted jobs for the Cavite arsenal. Soon, he
acted as cashier of his father’s enterprises.
It is not definitely known whether Osorio also became a Mason, but he was an active
member of the local Katipunan organization.
His involvement in the Katipunan eventually led to his arrest.
In a testimony given by Alfonso de Ocampo, he was mentioned as one of the leaders of the
planned uprising and that he and Maximo Inocencio were the ones tasked with acquiring the
necessary arms for the revolution.
With 12 other men, he was shot on September 12, 1896 by a firing squad in Fort San
Felipe. His remains were kept in a vault in the Porta Vaga Church of Cavite City.
Osorio had two children from two marriages. By his first wife, Soledad San Agustin (d.
1891), he had a daughter named Soledad. His second wife, Consuelo Garcia, bore him a son, also
named Francisco.
References:
Calairo, Emmanuel Franco. Liping Kabitenyo: Talambuhay ng mga Kilala at di-Kilalang
Kabitenyo. Dasmariñas City: De La Salle University, 1999.
Quirino, Carlos. Who’s Who in Philippine History. Manila : Tahanan Books,1995.
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