MUNICIPALITY OF MAUBAN, QUEZON, Historical Data of Part 7

The Municipal Councilors were:

Atty. Pastor Endencia
Atty. Sixto dela Costa
Mr. Prudencio Encomienda
Mr. Telesforo Llamas
Mr. Salvadro Ferro
Mr. Isidro Altamarino
Mr. Valentin Villamayor
Mr. Alberto Almira
Mr. Aguido Villabona
Mr. Apolonio Hirang

In 1918, Mauban had another epidemic. It was smallpox. Many people, young and old, were infected with [it] and died of this disease.

It was the first time that the people of Mauban had seen an airplane fly far above the clouds over this town.

There was famine at that time. No rice could be bought except the ration from the government, which was given to the people twice a week with some amount of flour imported by the government from the United States.

In those days, the people had much money because the price of copra per picul was ₱26.00. The cost of living was high.

Mr. Prudencio Encomienda Mr. Manuel Palacio Mr. Leon Malubay Dr. Jose Villaseñor Dr. Eladio Talaga Mr. Pablo Lechuga Mr. Silverio Taiño Mr. Pedro Ureta Mr. Demetrio Manipol Mr. Simon Villaverde Mr. Isabelo Verceluz Mr. Ricardo Eleazar

Municipal President Vice-President Municipal Councilor "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" ""

This time, Mauban elected a man of integrity. He worked silently most of the time in order to elevate the economic and social conditions of the community. He spoke well of others and had the ability to common [convince?] or persuade the people with [the] wrong notions.

Under his administration, the municipal council put up the present water system of Mauban; and all the streets were paved and lighted at night with electricity.

Mr. Florentino Jugueta Mr. Isabelo Verceluz Municipal Councilors:

Municipal President Vice-President Mr. Pablo Lechuga Mr. Lorenzo Arago Mr. Pedro Ureta Dr. Eladio Talaga Dr. Jose Villaseñor Atty. Francisco Pensacola Atty. Jose Desembrana Mr. Demetrio Manipol Mr. Simon Valleverde Mr. Bienvenido Lopez

In the election of 1922, Mr. Prudencio Encomienda was re-elected President and Mr. Florentino, Vice-President. Mr. Encomienda went to Manila and was offered a position in the Philippine Senate by President Quezon. He studied law in the University of Sto. Tomas.

When Mr. Encomienda went to Manila, Florentino Jugueta became the President and Mr. Isabelo Verceluz was appointed Vice-President.

Mr. Filomeno Pastrana Dr. Jose Villaseñor	Municipal President Vice-President
Municipal Councilors:
Mr. Benito Declaro Atty. Francisco Pensacola Atty. Jose Desembrana Dr. Leon Malubay	Mr. Ambrocio Pastrana Mr. Mamerto Eleazar Mr. Pio Palacio Mr. Placido Maranjilla

Mr. Silverio Taiño Mr. Benito Declaro	Municipal President Vice-President
Municipal Councilors:
Mr. Francisco Lim Mr. Pio Palacio Atty. Francisco Pensacola Mr. Ricardo Palacio	Mr. Jose Urgelles Mr. Lucio Pasion Mr. Vicente Pastrana Atty. Jose Desembrana

Atty. Lorenzo Encomienda Mr. Jose Pasamba Mr. Alberto Almira Dr. Mauro Calong Mr. Gaspar Lacson Mr. Petronio Laureles Mr. Jesus Felizarta Mr. Canuto Engracia Mr. Lauro Llamas Mr. Benito Almirañez

Municipal Mayor Vice-Mayor Councilor " " " " " " "

In the election for municipal officials in 1934, Mauban had three candidates for a municipal president, namely Atty. Lorenzo Encomienda and Messrs. Pio Palacio and Silverio Taiño. Atty. Lorenzo Encomienda was the victor.

The newly-elected municipal officials knew that Mauban needed improvement. One of the most important problems was the construction of a seawall along the seashore as a protection of the town from the sea.

Like Atty. Prudencio Encomienda, his uncle, Atty. Lorenzo Encomienda began to find means by which he could solve the big problem.

He sought the held of the then-Representative Hon. Miguel Castillo of the First District of Tayabas; and the Provincial Governor Hon. Maximo Rodriguez.

In the early part of 1935, the seawall was begun. Hundreds of laborers were employed. When the construction was almost completed in October 1936, a strong typhoon destroyed about one half of the seawall.

In 1937, another appropriation was released. The work was begun and completed in the same year.

The "River Control" hear Quezon Bridge was also built under the administration of Atty. Lorenzo Encomienda after the flood in which many lives were lost.

During his term, the Asedillo-Encallado band was organized somewhere in the Sierra Madre mountains. The Municipalities of Sampaloc, Mauban, and Lucban were mostly affected, especially the barrio folks. One time, the people in the barrios were called to town when the army men were in

their campaign against the dissidents.

Atty. Isidro Villabroza Mr. Leoncio Palacio Mr. Benito Almirañez Mr. Dalmacio Amarillo Mr. Nemesio Nevadura Mr. Gaspar Lacson Mr. Wenceslao Hirang Mr. Silverio Taiño Mr. Patronio Laureles Mr. Lauro Llamas

Municipal President Vice-President Councilor " " " " " " "

Some of the streets were paved. Extension of Camposano Street going to the seashore. Purchase of the school site on the hill north of the poblacion.

Under this administration, there was another continuous heavy rainfall for almost a week which caused several landslides in the different barrios of Mauban. The most common of all and perhaps the most sorrowful was the landslide including the public cemetery.

Many coffins, carcasses, plenty of human bones, and even the concrete graves were thrown into the sea. The relatives of those scattered carcasses attended to the upkeep of those departed souls.

Atty. Domingo Ingles Mr. Pancrasio Moreno Mr. Benito Almirañez Mr. Froilan Almacen Mr. Dalmacio Almarillo Dr. Bautista del Banco Mrs. Rosario Lacson Mr. Perpetuo Alpuerto Mr. Salvador Ferro, Jr. Mr. Francisco Faraon, Sr. Mr. Benjamin Eleazar Mr. Telesforo Llamas

Municipal Mayor Vice-Mayor Municipal Councilor "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" ""

A short time after the election, Atty. Domingo Ingles, the elected Mayor, died. So, Mr. Pancrasio S. Moreno was appointed Mayor and Mrs. Victoria P. Ingles, the wife of the departed mayor, was appointed Vice-Mayor.

At that time, the Calvario Hill was improved. The ladders on the east side were made.

On December 8, 1941, the war in the Pacific between the United States and Japan broke out. Without warning, Japan attacked the United States in Hawaii and in the Philippines.

The Municipal Council had, at that time, plenty of work to do. Volunteer guards were organized by the districts. This time, the teachers were sent either to the provincial capital or to some big municipalities where they were taught first aid work.

About the middle of December 1941, many people had gone to the barrios because several important military objectives in our country had been partially destroyed by Japanese air power and several landings of the Japanese Army had already been made successfully at different places in the Philippines.

One night before Christmas, the Japanese Navy was sighted in Lamon Bay by the civilian guards in the barrio of Cagsiay. The news was immediately relayed to the central (town) and the civilians were notified accordingly.

At that time, there were only several companies of soldiers in Mauban because many of them had left a day before that time. At any cost, the country must be saved. So, the inferior number of brave brown soldiers stayed in their posts ready to receive the much-hated intruders who greatly outnumbered our own.

A few hours before midnight, the civilian population left their homes. They went to the barrios in a hurry for safety.

At about the same time, thousands of Japanese soldiers had landed at Bulwagin, San Lorenzo. Others at different places going southwards. A few hours later, our soldiers began the work. In spite of the inferior number of soldiers we had, the resistance made was costly. In the morning, many Japanese dead soldiers were found along the seashore. The battle con-

tinued. More than eighty Japanese ships were used in that landing of soldiers. Mauban and Atimonan were the places of their landings. Some of those ships were sunk in Lamon Bay by the Filipino aviators.

Mr. Filomeno Llamas Atty. Gaudencio Enverga Mr. Apolonio Hirang Mr. Vicente Pastrana Mr. Gabino Almirañez Rev. Felimon Ramirez Mr. Sixto Escueta Mr. Pedro Hilahan

Appointed Mayor (February 1942) Chairman of the Commissioners Commissioner " " " " " "

All the members of the Municipal Commission were appointed by the Japanese Military Command.

During this time, most people lived in the farms. They made clearings for food production because food became scarce. All stores were robbed. No food and other daily necessities could be bought. The war paralyzed trade. Most of the commodities were commandeered by the Japanese authorities for the Japanese Army.

The Japanese government tried to convince the Filipinos everywhere in every way, but failed because they were gaudy, cruel, rasping, and above all, they lacked the means.

In the early part of 1942, the guerrilla outfits were organized in Mauban. Many of our soldiers, boys and most of the people, except the few Japanese sympathizers, joined or sympathized with the members of the different guerrilla organizations.

In Mauban, several guerrilla organizations worked to keep the Japanese Imperial Army busy all the time.

The organizations were the Anderson's Guerrillas, under the leadership of

Col. Bernard Anderson. The organization was formerly the USFIP (United States Forces in the Philippines); the Fil-American; the Hukbalahaps; the Hunters ROTC; the Marking's Guerrillas; the President Quezon's Own Guerrillas (PQOG); and the so-called "Forty-Eight," which was composed of all Chinese.

Some weeks later, the barrio folks of Rosario Cagsiay, Cagbalete, and other barrios were also confined in their respective barrio school buildings. The same procedure of persuasion was done. In 1943, the Philippines was granted her independence by Japan. It was a blessing in disguise.

In June 1944, Mr. Lucas L. Almirez was appointed Mayor of Mauban by the Japanese.

The following men were the members of the Advisory Board:

Mr. Vicente Pastrana Dr. Eduardo Eleazar Mr. Regino Santayana Mr. Lorenzo Villamayor Mr. Leoncio Palacio

Chairman Member " " "

Under this administration, the Japanese were more vigilant and suspicious than the earlier part of the administration. The UN (United Nippon) was organized. It was a Filipino pro-Japanese organization which was used by the Japanese in eyeing all Filipino activities against Japan. Those Filipinos sold their birthrights to the cruel invaders by betraying their kindred.

At this time, the Japanese required all men to do the work for them. The Filipinos built shelters, dug trenches, tunnels, and thousands of foxholes in the mountains, along the seashore, and along the roads to Sampaloc. Barbed wire was set up at strategic points. Thousands of coconut trees were cut down everywhere without permission from the owners. The coconut trunks were used for military construction. Hundreds of houses the owners of which were in the barrios and in other towns were destroyed for the same reason. Some houses were destroyed simply for fuel. Galvanized roofings were taken off from houses and brought to the barrios for shelter.

Several times, Mayor Almirez interfered with the Japanese activities because the work involved the degradation of the brown race. At different occasions, he slapped the Japanese soldiers who played the role of a dictator.

One night in February 1945, while Mr. Lucas Almirez, the appointed

Mayor of Mauban, was at home at the corner of Rizal and Zulueta Streets. Some Japanese soldiers with fixed bayonets forced themselves in and demanded for the appointed chief executive. Without warning, the intrepid mayor was assaulted by the heartless and Godless intruders. All others in the house, except a niece who managed to get out of the house unseen, were also murdered. The house was set on fire. As a result, several houses at the corner of Rizal and Zulueta Streets were burned. That night and early in the morning, the people in the town fled quietly to the barrios again. Very few people were left in the poblacion.

During the latter part of the year 1944 and in the early part of 1945, the different guerrilla units here were on the lookout for all Japanese

military activities.

Lieut. Paterno Abcede Lieut. Clodualdo Villaseñor Lieut. Rudsend Pensacola Lieut. Eufemio Hirang Commander (Rank) Rafael Jimenez Commadder (Rank) Napoleon Almira Cesar Remolona Armando Pastrana

Executive Officer Plan & Training Officer Adjutant Second Platoon Second Platoon Third Platoon Supply Officer Invincible guide of Col Anderson

A. Ambuscade of the Japanese Army in the Barrio of Bilocao on March 6, 1945 under Lt. Paterno Abcede. Probable casualties: four hundred Japanese soldiers, cremated at the Catholic cemetery and elsewhere.

B. Road blockade on March 18, 1945 in the Barrio of Sto. Niño under Lt. Clodualdo Villaseñor. Twenty-four (24) men and women members of the infamous UN (United Nippons) were taken prisoners.

C. Ambuscade in the Barrio of San Rafael on April 5, 1945, under Lt. Clodualdo Villaseñor. Casualties: four Japanese soldiers were killed and two Filipinos under the lieutenant.

D. In the Barrio of Lucutan, a group of six men under Elpidio Atienza, with Flaviano R. Talisayon, Gaudencio Larayos, Eliseo Sangcap, Francisco DeChavez, and Eufrocino Catalla ambushed a group of six Japanese soldiers at the bank of the Balaybalay River.

E. In the Barrio of San Roque, sitio of Baligawak, the same unit under Lieut. Rudsend Pensacola, a group of some Japanese were killed while apprehending civilians.

F. Assault in the Barrio of Sto. Angel, under Lieut. Clodualdo Villaseñor, where five Japanese soldiers were killed and firearms were taken from them.

G. Ambuscade in Sampitan under Capt. Manuel Callejo and his men, Gerardo Encallado, Martinez, Demetrio Cohopisan, spied by Anicetas Malabaguio and Calixto Malabaguio. Casualties: Lieut. Kumay, Dr. Quiki, Dr.

Quikaw and seven Japanese soldiers.

Mr. Pancrasio Moreno Mrs. Victoria Ingles Mr. Benito Almirez Mr. Froilan Almacen Mr. Dalmacio Amarillo Mr. Dominador del Banco Mr. Salvador Ferro Mrs. Rosario Lacson Mr. Francisco Faraon

Municipal Mayor Municipal Vice-Mayor Municipal Councilor "" "" "" "" "" ""

These members of the Municipal Council held their offices until September 1947.

Mr. Crisostomo Llamas was appointed Mayor of Mauban by His Excellency, President Manuel Roxas.

Mr. Petronio Laureles Mr. Benito Almirañez Mr. Amado A. Clemente Mr. Jovencio Taiño Mr. Telesforo Llamas, Jr. Mr. Benjamin Eleazar Mr. Dionisio Banagan Mr. Juan Pastrana

Vice-Mayor Councilor " " " " " "

After a few months, Vice-Mayor Petronio Laureles resigned, followed by the Mayor. This time, Mr. Benito Almirañez was appointed Mayor of Mauban. Mr. Amado A. Clemente became the Vice-Mayor.

The HUKBALAHAP became active until the government outlawed the organization. From that time, a permanent military detachment was assigned here. In 1949, the government initiated an amnesty for the Huks, which was refused by the latters.

One important event in the history of Mauban was the opening of the Filipinas College in 1947 by Dra. Maria Pastrana Castrence, a well-known education from Mauban. In this college were offered the following courses: High School, Normal, Education, Liberal Arts, and Elementary.

MAUBAN UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF MAYOR RAMON
TALAGA (1948-1950)

Major Problem: Peace and Order

Atty. Ramon L. Talaga Mr. Amado A. Clemente Dr. Ireneo Encomienda Mr. Dominador del Banco Mr. Pancrasio Moreno Mr. Telesforo Llamas, Jr. Dr. Elpidio Delantar Dr. Francisco Alquiros Mr. Benjamin Eleazar Mr. Dionisio Banagan

Municipal Mayor Municipal Vice-Mayor Municipal Councilor` "" "" "" "" "" "" ""

After one year, Dr. F. Alquiros and Mr. B. Eleazar resigned their posts. They were succeeded by Mr. Vicente Pastrana and Mr. Crisostomo Llamas, respectively.

In April 1950, the Philippine Army in Mauban went to Sampaloc. One night in the early part of that month of the same year, at about 8:00, the town was occupied by the Huks. The L.T.B station and three buses of the company were burned. The people were scared. Mayor Talaga was at that time

Transcribed from: Historical Data of the Municipality of Mauban, Province of Quezon, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.