MUNICIPALITY OF GUMACA, Quezon, Historical Data of Part 2
PART II
PART I | PART II | PART III | PART IV | PART V | PART VI | PART VII
[p. 16]
During the time of this hiding in the barrios, a malaria epidemic sprang up and many people died of this dreaded disease.
In this year, 1899, a strong and destructive storm passed by Gumaca.
II. THE AMERICAN ERA IN THE PHILIPPINES
After the surrender of the Filipino forces to the American forces, the American government was immediately established in 1900.
Every town, through its qualified electors, was allowed to elect its own officials — the Municipal Council composed of a Municipal President, Municipal Vice-President, and eight (8) Councilors for a town as big as Gumaca. The Municipal Council, in turn, designated its own Municipal Secretary and a Chief of Police with his policemen. Each councilor designated his barrio lieutenants in his district. The members of the Municipal Council were elected for a term of two (2) years.
In the latter part of 1900, the whole of Alabat Island was separated from the township of Gumaca and was made the new Municipality of Alabat, which was comprised of Sangirin and Silangan (now Quezon town).
In 1903, the town policemen were disarmed by "tulisanes," who cheated the policemen by requesting for lodgings in the Municipal Building.
In 1905, the wooden bridge over the Gumaca River was widened and rebuilt.
In 1910, the term of each Municipal President was increased to three (3) years and, by a law passed in 1912, the term was further increased to four (4) years for elective officials who might be elected in the following elections.
There was a drought in Gumaca beginning in July of 1911 to October 15, 1912, which almost killed all the trees in the forests; and many forest fires were recorded during the duration of this drought.
The building of the Manila Railroad line began in 1912 and the first train arrived in Gumaca on May 10, 1916.
In 1913, all the bridges and "embornales" (embankments) in the Gumaca-Atimonan Road were constructed of concrete.
In 1914, in the month of August, the First World War broke out in Europe.
[p. 17]
In the year 1915, another strong and destructive storm hit Gumaca.
In 1916, the new election law provided that the term of the Municipal President would be only three (3) years beginning 1917.
In 1918, three epidemics (smallpox, cholera, and influenza) combined their furies in taking a great toll of lives among the people of Gumaca.
During his term, Municipal President Aurelio P. Nava (1912-1916) accomplished the following:
(1) An intermediate school was first established in Gumaca in 1914 with Mr. Marcial Olivera as the first Principal.
(2) Bought the site of the present public market in 1915 from Mrs. Felicidad M. Orda for ₱4,000.00.
(3) Bought one hectare of land from Mr. Claro Cortes, which became the present civil cemetery of Gumaca. This was situated in the southeastern part of the town.
(4) Had the public well (Koloong) in front of the Municipal Building repaired for use by the townspeople.
(5) Built the Gumaca Public Market in 1917 from the ₱12,000.00 which he borrowed from the National Government in 1915, but which was just released that year.
Under his presidency, Mr. Panfilo Tañada, Sr. accomplished the following:
(1) Constructed the concrete Municipal Building and a big concrete water tank for drinking.
(2) Constructed the Gumaca Elementary School Building.
Mr. Tañada was reelected for a second term but, unfortunately, he died in office in 1923.
During the administration of Mr. Marciano Principal as Municipal President, the following accomplishments were recorded:
(1) The construction of a big concrete water tank for drinking water at the back of the Municipal Building, with the help of Mr. Aurelio P. Nava, who was elected as a Member of the Provincial Board of Tayabas Province.
(2) The improvement and repair of town streets.
(3) The building of an additional seawall from the fortress of San Diego going westward.
[p. 18]
In 1926, Mr. Aurelio P. Nava, ex-Municipal President of Gumaca, was elected Member of the Provincial Board of Tayabas Province.
The construction of the Gumaca-Pitogo Provincial Road began in 1926.
On November 5, 1926, a strong and destructive storm hit Gumaca. This storm uprooted many coconut trees and damaged rice crops in the fields. This storm did great damage to government public works and the Manila Railroad lines.
In the early part of the year 1931, the economic crisis began. The drop in copra prices began this year until 1935, when copra prices began picking up. The people of Gumaca were financially hard-up as they were solely dependent upon copra.
During the term of Mr. Francisco Omana (1931-1934), he undertook the repair of some town streets and some of the water embankments (embornales) in the town.
In the election of 1934, Mr. Marciano Principe, ex-Municipal President of Gumaca, was elected to the Provincial Board of the Province of Tayabas as Board Member.
The town of Gumaca participated in the election of provincial delegates to the Constitutional Convention as provided for by the Tydings-McDuffie Law.
V. THE PHILIPPINE COMMONWEALTH
On May 14, 1935, in a plebiscite for the acceptance or non-acceptance of the proposed Commonwealth Government for the Philippines as provided by the Tydings-McDuffie Law, the people of Gumaca, in particular, and the people of the Philippines, in general, accepted the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth Government.
The women of the Philippines first availed of their newly-won privilege of suffrage in this plebiscite. Many local women voted for the first time in Gumaca for the acceptance of the Commonwealth Government.
During the years 1934 and 1935, earthquakes and destructive storms (storms were quite frequent these two years) reduced the yield of coconut trees to the detriment of the Gumaca landowners.
On November 15, 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth was inaugurated with the Hon. Manuel L. Quezon as the first President.
[p. 19]
On August 20, 1937, a strong and destructive earthquake of tectonic origin in Lamon Bay between Alabat and Atimonan was responsible for the destruction of the belfry of the church of Gumaca. This belfry had since been rebuilt but only up to the third story of the former belfry.
During his administration, Mr. Vicente Mendoza (1935-1937) accomplished the following:
(1) Reconstruction of the fortress of San Diego.
(2) Reconstruction of the old seawall.
(3) Reconstruction and widening of the old Muralla Street from Jose Rizal Street to the San Diego fortress.
(4) Repair of some town streets and water embankments.
VI. THE PACIFIC WAR AND THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION
If it may be properly judged, the Pacific War was mainly a war of conflicting commercial interests; a war that had its beginnings in the scramble for markets for the finished manufactured goods and at the same time a scramble for sources of raw materials to feed the industries of the teeming millions of the Imperial Japanese Empire on the one hand, and the highly industrialized economy of a democratic United States of America on the other. The Philippines, being a ward and a friend of the United States of America and being situated geographically on the direct path of the southward expansion of the aggressive Japanese Empire, did not escape this disastrous and calamitous war between the two giants of modern power politics; the Philippines got involved in a war in which she had not an iota of material or any interest whatsoever. This war was forced on her and she was made to suffer the brunt of the war's total destruction and utter miseries not of her own choosing but because she was fated to do so. Any way of the Filipinos, with the fullest courage and fortitude equal to the task at hand, did their fullest share in the prosecution of this war to a successful end "to preserve the world for democracy," in the words of President Wilson and, later, to "uphold the four freedoms" as enunciated by the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt in this war.
On December 8, 1941, Japan, without any declaration of war, attacked the American Armed Forces at Pearl Harbor and, after a few hours after this sneak attack, the American installations at Clark Field, Pampanga.
[p. 20]
On December 12, 1941, the people of Gumaca evacuated to the outlying barrios for safety from the expected Japanese attacks.
On December 23, 1941, the Japanese forces landed in Atimonan and, early on the same day, Gumaca was occupied by the Japanese Armed Forces, and all the hardships incident to such an occupation by the enemy began for the people of Gumaca.
On March 12, 1942, the Municipal Government under the Japanese Imperial Army was constituted in Gumaca, with the incumbent Municipal Mayor, Mr. Juan R. Tañada, being appointed to the same position. This was done by the Japanese Army in order that they could have someone to turn to when they were in need of any aid, material or otherwise, from the people, and to facilitate their administration of the place. As days, and weeks, and months wore on, the people were being hard-up for their daily necessities such as food or prime commodities, clothing, cigarettes, and other materials of prime importance as the occupying forces were continuously buying them up in large quantities for the supply of the army. The volume of Mickey Mouse money (as the Japanese script money issued by the army was then called) increased in astounding proportions. True, the people had plenty of this money, but they could not buy anything with them because of the scarcity of every kind of article in the locality. In this way, the barter system of commerce, which was en vogue in the ancient times of history in the Euphrates and the Nile Valleys and in the Philippines during the times of Rajah Humabon and Sikatuna, was again revived and practiced in Gumaca in the year of our Lord 1943.
For their propaganda purposes, to justify their war of aggression, the Japanese preached the ideas of their Co-Prosperity Sphere and the brotherhood of all Asiatics, and Asia for the Asiatics. So that, by October 15, 1943, Japan granted the Philippines her independence
[p. 21]
The granting of this independence, being Japanese-made, did not alleviate the sufferings of the people of Gumaca (and, for that matter, the whole Philippines) but, instead, worsened it. In the far-off barrios of Gumaca such as Labnig and Bantad, the people were, little by little, organizing themselves secretly into guerrilla bands against the occupation forces.
One night in September of 1944, the Gumaca Railroad Station, which was then being operated by the Japanese Army, and the Banno Busan charcoal oven in barrio Progreso, were burned by the guerrillas. They (the guerrillas), were also stealing the telephone wires and, for these acts of sabotage, the Japanese Army retaliated by torturing and also killing any suspect and any civilian that might have been found in the premises of the places of sabotage. To discourage and stamp out the guerrillas, the Japanese Army went to the barrios to hunt for these guerrillas, and the innocent civilians of those barrios suffered the tortures and punishments meted out by the Japanese in their hit and miss method of hunting guerrillas.
On November 1, 1944, the Japanese Army garrison in the Gumaca Elementary School Building was attacked by the guerrillas. This hostile act enraged the Japanese, and the residents of the town of Gumaca were garrisoned in the Gumaca Elementary School Building on November 2, 1944. They were, however, released the following day due to the efforts of Mayor Juan R. Tañada.
By the middle of November, 1944, the municipal officials who were appointed by the Japanese abandoned the town and fled to the barrios.
On January 25, 1945, the Commonwealth Government was reestablished in the barrio of Rizalino.
On April 5, 1945, the Commonwealth Government was reestablished in the town of Gumaca.
With liberation, the people were once more happy and thankful. They seemed in a trance and refused to believe their sad and almost unbearable experiences during the dark days of the Japanese occupation because
[p. 22]
True enough, liberation brought in plenty of good real money, and all kinds of businesses were booming here and there. Food, clothing, and everything becoming plenty as days rolled on, and every item of commodity from necessity to luxury seemed within the reach of everyone — rich and poor alike. Our Philippine agricultural products for export were in great demand in foreign markets, and they commanded, and still command today, high prices. Our production of staple products for home consumption could not meet the big demand in the local market, which necessitated the importation of such items as rice and fruits. Thus, everybody had plenty of good money and there was a general spree for spending for necessaries and unnecessaries alike which, in the long run of its unbridled progress, almost brought a catastrophic financial collapse in the latter part of 1950 had not the Import Control Law brought a stop to this wild orgy of spending.
Mr. Juan R. Tañada, his term began in October of 1941, on through the enemy occupation until June 30, 1949, which was the last day of the Philippine Commonwealth Government, played a vital part as municipal administrator.
As the Municipal President, he had to serve his people to the best of his ability and, because of this, he had to play ball with the Japanese authorities when he was appointed by them as Municipal President during the occupation. He explained to the people that the only government then
[p. 23]
He stumped out lawlessness and all petty thieveries in the locality. He had to deal with the fake guerrillas who wanted to cheat the people for being such, and suspended the Ganap Party officials for their false accusations against some of the people.
He initiated the food production campaign and had to acquire temporarily all abandoned and idle lands, and distributed them to the landless to be planted with short-seasoned crops like vegetables, corn, camotes, etc. to avoid famine.
To prevent abusive soaring prices, he enacted ordinances and issued executive orders regulating and reducing the prices of all prime commodities such as rice, fish, mean, fruits, and vegetables; and prohibited their exportation from the place.
He strictly prohibited gambling like jueteng, and gambling houses were ordered closed.
He undertook the repair of public buildings and the repair and improvement of town streets.
He initiated the strict enforcement of sanitary regulations.
Most often, he intervened for people who were being garrisoned by the Japanese authorities and took responsibility for the release of the townspeople from garrison on November 3, 1944.
With the help of Dr. Alpay, then Member of the Provincial Board, Mr. Tañada established the first public high school in Gumaca.
VII. THE THIRD PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC
True to its promise and commitment through the public and official utterances of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to grant the Philippines its much-deserved independence upon the termination of the Pacific war, the United States Congress enacted a law in 1945 which granted the Philippines its own independence; and on July 4, 1946, the Philippine Republic was officially inaugurated in Manila and every town and city in the Philippines.
On this launching of a new republic in Asia, where for centuries most of the Asiatics were subject peoples of the colonizing powers of Eu-
[p. 24]
In 1946, when the new republic was launched and took its rightful seat among the sovereign countries in the world, the Filipinos' hopes were high. Philippine export products were in great demand in foreign markets and their prices were continually rising, thereby earning more and more dollars for the Philippines. Mindful of dollars in War Damage payments from the United States Treasury, and those realized from the sale of surplus materials which were given to the Philippines free by the United States government, and the rehabilitation funds brought to the Philippines billions of dollars for the Philippine government and the Filipino people to spend. The people had too much money, then they were on a spree of unwise spending on the import of both necessities and luxuries, instead of using these billions to increase agricultural and industrial production of the country to fiscalize our dollar requirements with the net result that, in the middle part of 1950, the government had to pass the Import Control Law to prevent an impending crash of our national financial structure. They were shake-ups and political squabbles in the highest rung of our political leadership which were occasioned by shady deals in surplus materials. There were also charges and counter-charges of corruption and inefficiency in the government, and the government finances were in the red since 1945, the year of liberation, when we inaugurated the policy of deficit-spending in the government, with the end result that the government's public debt has now reached billions of pesos.
The town of Gumaca was badly affected by these developments in the Philippines. Due to the import control policy, the people had to pay higher prices for goods, prime commodities as well as luxuries and due
[p. 25]
In the senatorial election in 1947, Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada, the son of Don Vicente, Tañada of Gumaca, Quezon, got elected as senator under the Liberal Party ticket. As a senator, he displayed his capability, wisdom, and honesty as a legislator of the first degree. Because of so much corruption, inefficiency, and dishonesty in the Liberal administration, Senator Tañada had to belt from the Liberal Party and formed his own party — the Citizens Party. Since then, he had to fight every act of the administration that would lead to corruption and graft; since the, with the help of a militant free press in the Philippines, he exposed all these graft and corruption and inefficiencies in the government which came to his notice; and since then, he had been a crusader for a clean and honest government.
The presidential election in 1949 was a unique landmark in the long history of the Philippines. It was then of general knowledge that there was too much cheating and dishonesty perpetrated by both parties (the Liberal and Nacionalista Parties) through force and the intimidation of voters. It was even charged that the birds and the trees and even the dead voted for the administration in Lanao and Negros Occidental and other Liberal provinces.
After the liberation of the Philippines by the United States Armed Forces and, too, the subsequent inauguration of the Philippine Republic, the U.S. Army had to give all the surplus materials to the Philippine government. Among these surplus materials were small arms — rifles, pistols, and machine guns and automatic rifles. These arms found their way from army depots to irresponsible hands, and this anomalous situation led to the rapid increase of dissidents in the Philippines. The dissidents, who are known to us as Hukbalahaps, are said to be getting orders and material aid from Moscow. In their public utterances, they seem reasonable in agitating for changes and reforms for the landless and tenants
[p. 26]
In the middle of 1951, some of the Huk organizers came to Gumaca. They began recruiting members in the far-off barrios of the town such as Mataas na Bundok, Bantad, and Bungahan; but they accomplished nothing for the Philippine Ground Forces pursued them, and they had to flee to the Bicol provinces. This happening stirred the people of Gumaca a bit.
Since July 1, 1946 up to December 31, 1947, Mr. Vicente D. Victoria was the appointed Municipal Mayor of Gumaca. In the election of 1947, he was elected to this same position for a term of four (4) years. All in all, Mr. Victoria served as Municipal Mayor for five years and seven months.
Among the principal accomplishments of his administration were as follows:
(1) Reconstruction of the seawall and the fortress of San Diego, and the construction of the port for berthing purposes of motor boats in the northern bank of the mouth of the Gumaca River.
(2) The construction of a slaughter house near the public market, financed from a loan granted by the Rehabilitation Finance Corporation to the amount of ₱25,000.00.
(3) The construction of artesian wells within the town proper and some barrios.
(4) Repair and improvement of the semi-circular cement pavement in front of the Municipal Building.
(5) Construction and repair of canals.
(6) Construction of the cement and iron fence around the Municipal Building and the cement sidewalks along this fence.
(7) The reclassification of the Municipality of Gumaca, Quezon
[p. 27]
(8) The repainting of the Municipal Building.
(9) The establishment of the Municipal Library.
(10) The construction of the basketball court inside the Municipal Plaza.
(11) The construction of the Puericulture Center Building of the town of Gumaca.
(12) The construction of the new Quezon East High School Building.
In the latter part of 1947, an American company, the Standard Coconut Corporation, began construction of its factory in barrio Rosario. This company would manufacture coconut desiccated out of our coconuts. In February of 1948, the factory began its production, and hundreds of people from Gumaca and other towns found employment in this factory.
Since the establishment of this company, much progress had been made in the town, and business in Gumaca became brisk due to the increase in the population of the locality. The market place, which heretofore had been bare except in the morning when fish and meat were being sold thereat, became a real market in its true sense. The market place is now always full of people doing business day in and day out, and this fact increased the income of the municipal government from this source. Heretofore, there was only one cine house in Gumaca, but because of the increase in business and population, another cine house was constructed in 1950 near the market place. The closing temporarily of this company due to its marketing difficulties in June of 1951 was keenly and badly felt by the business community of Gumaca because of the reduced income of the laborers from this company. The company's weekly payroll averaged around ₱6,000.00 per week, and around ₱24,000.00 a month, and it was estimated that of this amount, at least 75% or ₱18,000.00 was being spent in the local stores, which accounted for much of the volume of business in Gumaca.
As for the health condition of the people, we can say that it is fair. However, there is still a need for its improvement. Sanitary regulations must be strictly enforced, and stray pigs are an ugly sight
[p. 28]
There are still streets in Gumaca which are in bad shape (most of them are) and they must be improved. Cameneros are badly wanting to keep the town streets in good shape and well clean of tall grasses.
With regards to local education, Gumaca is doing well. There are excess pupils and students who are out of school at present. With the cooperation of the Parents-Teachers Association of both elementary and high school of both the public and private schools in Gumaca, school authorities are doing their work well in the improvement of the schools.
The progress in local education can very well be measured in the establishment of the Eastern Quezon Colleges in 1947. This institution is offering complete elementary and high school courses. There are also colleges for Education, Junior Normal, and Commerce, offering courses leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Education, Elementary Certificate, and Bachelor of Science in Commerce, respectively. Many of the Gumaca Elementary School teachers are graduates of this institution.
The establishment of the Gumaca Public Library is a blessing for the people of Gumaca. People who find pleasure in reading are considered well-read and enlightened; and they are usually the people who are law-abiding and militant citizens. This library caters to the educational needs of the people of Gumaca who really want to acquire more knowledge in their leisure hours. But, to get the most out of this library, our local administration must encourage the people both from the poblacion and the barrios to avail themselves of the free service of this library to the reading public. As it is now, there are but a few people who find use of the free facilities of the library. We need the most number of enlightened and good citizens to be conscious and militant in the conduct of their public affairs.
VIII. AND WHAT OF THE FUTURE?
[p. 29]
In Gumaca, in the November 13, 1951 election, the people reposed their trust in the administration of the town in the hands of the Nacionalista-Citizens Party candidates whom they elected to serve them for the coming term. They hoped that this change would ultimately redound in better administration that can give the people the necessary improvement and the best service to all concerned. To President-elect Mariano M. Tañada and his colleagues, the people of Gumaca interested turned their eyes for a much better administration that the people sorely needed.
To attain this, the people should be willing to cooperate. The newly-elected officials of Gumaca would find in the Gumaca Junior Chamber of Commerce, a new association of young peole whose main purpose is for public service and which is affiliated with the Junior Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and the Junior Chamber of Commerce International, a most willing cooperation in all fields of endeavor for the improvement and service to the public as well as to the people.
The saying "God helps those who help themselves" still holds true; and the people who want to improve themselves should be willing to work to attain this aim.
To this, only time will tell. That the people of Gumaca do the best things for themselves and justify their actions to this end.
[p. 30]
APPENDIX - B
LIST OF RULERS OF THE TOWN OF GUMACA FROM 1574 TO 1951
|
N A M E S
Fr. Diego de OropesaFr. Esteban Ortiz Fr. Geronimo Monte Fr. Gabriel Sto. Tomas Fr. Marcelo de la Guardia Fr. Celestino de San Miguel |
D A T E S 1574 - 1587 1588 - 1898 1599 - 1622 1623 - 1637 1638 - 1661 1662 - 1670 |
| NAMES OF PRIESTS | DATES | NAMES OF GOBERNADORCILLOS |
|
Fr. Pedro Gimenez Fr. Pedro Gimenez Fr. Pedro Gimenez Fr. Pedro Gimenez Fr. Pedro Gimenez Fr. Luis San Jose Fr. Luis San Jose Fr. Jacinto Sta. Maria Fr. Jacinto Sta. Maria Fr. Antonio Alcantara Fr. Tereso Sta. Maria Fr. Tereso Sta. Maria Fr. Miguel Bayot Fr. Josef Jesus Maria Fr. Felipe de la Magdalena Fr. Antonio Alcantara Fr. Geronimo Pamplona Fr. Juan de Jesus Fr. Andres Talavera Fr. Francisco de San Josef Fr. Andres Bersucana Fr. Andres Bersucana Fr. Josef de la Concepcion Fr. Francisco de las Llagas Fr. Francisco de las Llagas Fr. Francisco de las Llagas Fr. Andres Bersucana Fr. Julian Bernabe Fr. Julian Bernabe Fr. Julian Bernabe Fr. Juan San Agustin Fr. Francisco de Jesus Maria Fr. Francisco de Jesus Maria Fr. Diego San Lorenzo Fr. Diego San Lorenzo Fr. Josef Martinez Fr. Josef Martinez Fr. Domingo San Lazaro Fr. Francisco de Jesus Fr. Francisco de Jesus Maria Fr. Francisco de Jesus Maria |
1671 1672 1673 1674 1675 1676 1677 1678 1679 1679 1680 1681 1682 1683 1684 1684 1685 1685 1686 1686 1687 1688 1689 1690 1690 1691 1692 1692 1693 1694 1694 1695 1696 1697 1698 1698 1699 1699 1699 1670 1701 |
D. Diego de Jose D. Diego de Jose D. Francisco Sta. Maria D. Francisco Sta. Maria D. Francisco Sta. Maria D. Francisco Sta. Maria D. Pedro de Castro D. Pedro de Castro D. Pedro de Castro D. Simon Prada D. Simon Prada D. Simon Prada D. Mariano de Dios D. Jose San Agustin D. Santiago Abra D. Felix Gimenez D. Felix Gimenez D. Felix Gimenez D. Juan Adriano D. Antonio Lopez D. Juan Buenaventura D. Juan Buenaventura D. Jose Ajan de Vera D. Buenaventura de la Cruz D. Diego Martinez Polintan D. Manuel Cuello D. Gregorio Dandan D. Gregorio Dandan D. Nicolas Sarmiento D. Francisco de Victoria D. Francisco Martinez D. Francisco Martinez D. Francisco Martinez D. Juan Cabig D. Gaspar Catapang D. Francisco Escobar D. Francisco Escobar D. Francisco Escobar D. Francisco Escobar D. Marcos Frias D. Pedro Talavera |
PART I | PART II | PART III | PART IV | PART V | PART VI | PART VII
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