PRIME NEWS POST
THE INDONESIAN, (WEST JAVA) —-— To mark National Heroes’ Day on 10 November 2026, students from MI Al Islamiyah Bhakti Buana in Sangkanurip, Cigandamekar Sub‑district, Kuningan Regency, West Java, held a commemorative ceremony and flower‑laying ritual at the burial site of King Siau Jacob Ponto on Tuesday (10/11/2026).
The activity was led by Nunung Nurhasanah, accompanied by Merry Mancika and the teaching staff of MI Al Islamiyah Bhakti Buana. The ceremony and flower‑laying form part of an annual tradition for local residents and the school community, held routinely for National Heroes’ Day on 10 November and Indonesia’s Independence Day on 17 August.
The event serves as a tribute to the services of national heroes who fought against colonial rule, as well as an effort to keep the nation’s struggle‑history alive for younger generations.
King Siau Jacob Ponto’s grave is one of Sangkanurip’s culturally significant historical sites. According to the historical records referenced for the commemoration, Jacob Ponto was exiled by the colonial administration to the Cirebon Residency in 1889 and passed away in Sangkanurip in 1890.
Through the ceremony, the students were taught to understand that Indonesian independence was not simply granted, but was won through the struggle, sacrifice, and bravery of national figures resisting occupation.
Beyond a yearly ceremonial routine, the program functions as character‑building education, instilling nationalist values in the pupils. Honoring national heroes, the organizers explained, means more than just taking part in a formal ceremony; it also involves studying history, preserving national unity, and filling Indonesia’s independence with positive, meaningful action.
The school’s organizing team hopes the commemorative tradition at King Siau Jacob Ponto’s resting place will continue to be preserved and passed down to future generations.
A great nation is defined not only by how it cherishes its independence, but also by how it remembers its history and the people who sacrificed for the homeland.
To honor the nation’s heroes is to safeguard collective historical memory. Carrying forward the spirit of their struggle is the responsibility of every succeeding generation of Indonesians.
