|
Bislig – Historical Background Bislig, in the annals of Philippine historical heritage is rich in her recorded past dating back since the dawn of civilization in this part of The legendary allusions as to how Bislig got its name dates back to the era prior to the coming of the Spanish conquistadors. The town got its name from a forest vine of the rattan family that grew in abundance along the banks of its rivers. This vine was noted for its strength and became known for saving a royal couple who crossed the swollen river in one of their hunting expeditions and who almost died as they were carried downstream by the rushing current. The legend has it that these hunters had already lost hope of surviving until they were able to cling to a vine which was about ¼” in diameter called “Bislig”. As a sign of thanksgiving, the ruler named this place Bislig. The first inhabitants of Bislig were believed to have come from the Agusan valley in the hinterlands of They were ruled during the later part of the seventeenth century by a native leader called “Bagani”, meaning a formidable leader. They were very brave, tough and war-like. They also introduced edible crops such as rice, corn and rootcrops to the area. At the turn of the century, Spanish colonizers and missionaries imposed the rule of Long before it came a town on The 1938 elections under the Commonwealth Act ended the title of the Municipal President accorded to a town executive when Mr. Domingo Moncayo became the first elected Municipal Mayor of Bislig. In 1948, the town’s population rose to 5,019. By 1960, after a span of 12 years, the population increased to 16, 409. This almost trebled in the 1970’s when the population size leaped to 68,345 in 1977. As of As an offshoot of the disturbingly rapid population growth, the once anemic socio-economic activity rose to a feverish height that involve the neighboring municipalities, provinces and cities. Bislig’s political activity later became heightened in the fifties and the sixties as a result of the vested interest of certain groups. It was this political struggle that made Bislig rise from its P3,000 annual income in 1921 to a staggering P40.44 M in 1994. This socio-economic growth was brought about by the establishment of major industries in the locality, such as the Bislig Bay Lumber Company, Inc. (BBLCI) in October, 1950 and its sister company, the Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines, Inc. (PICOP) less than 2 decades later. These 2 companies were merged in 1970 to become the largest papermill in Bislig – Tourism Tourism industry in Bislig is one of the promising industries in the near future. There are about 11 existing tourist spots in the municipality. These tourist spots would help generate income to the municipality if properly tapped and developed. Among the identified tourist spots are : Tinuy-an, Libuac Spring
Municipal Presidents/ Mayors of Bislig (1921-1995) Through Election, Appointment or Succession 1921-1922 By Appointment Primitivo A. Castillo 1922-1924 By Election Sulpicio Laurente 1925-1927 By Election Ciriaco Alba 1928-1930 By Election Bartolome Alvar 1931-1933 By Election Rodrigo Francisco 1934-1936 By Election Beda B. Castillo 1937-1939 By Election Domingo Moncayo 1940-1946 By Election Simon Montero 1946-1957 Term extended due to WW11 By succession (Mayor Montero Died on June, 1946) Felix Feliscuso 1948-1952 By Election Herculano S. Basanez 1952-1955 By Election Recaredo B. Castillo 1956-1958 By Election Recaredo B. Castillo 1959- By Succession (Mayor Castillo resigned to run for Vice-Governor of Surigao) Aniomado Masancay 1960-1963 By Election Herculano S. Basanez 1964-1967 By Election Aniomado Masancay 1968-1971 By Election Aniomado Masancay 1972-1978 By Election (Term extended due to Martial Law) Alfredo B. Cosico 1978-1979 By Appointment Recaredo B. Castillo 1980-1984 By Election (6 year term shortened by death) Recaredo B. Castillo 1984-1986 By Succession Ernesto T. Estrella 1986-1987 By Appointement as OIC-Mayor Purificacion D. Lim 1987-1988 By Appointment as Caretaker Jimmy C. Ondona 1988-1992 By Election Paterno A. Guasa 1992- By Appointment as OIC-Mayor Sotico R. Picasales 1992-1995 By Election Wilfredo G. Alvizo 1995-1998 By Election Paterno A. Guasa 1998-Present By Election Florencio C. Garay RECAREDO B.CASTILLO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SON OF BISLIG Recaredo was born on February 2, 1912 in Bislig and is the tenth of twelve children born to Primitivo and Felomina Castillo. He had his early education in Bislig and finished both his primary and intermediate schooling up to grade seven in Hinatuan. On his own, he went to Bunawan and enrolled at the He engaged in farming, fishing and trading in the coastal towns of eastern As a private citizen, Erat had already made many great contributions to the community and province. He gave the government lands for schoolsites, roads, puericulture centers and lands for other public buildings. He also donated 30 hectares to Bislig Bay Lumber Company to encourage its owner to establish the mills in Bislig than elsewhere like Lingig which was considered an ideal site for the firm. Also he offered to organize the natives to help without pay in the initial stages of installing its machineries. In return, he asked company officials to give natives employment priority. He succeeded. The company was set up in Mangagoy, the natives were given priority for employment, the community grew rapidly, government revenues increased, and economic activity perked up and expanded. He earned too the respect and admiration of Don Andres Soriano, Sr. In 1951, he was forced by older brother Beda to run for mayor. The Nacionalista convention drafted him in absentia and Erat was to continue a career in politics that spanned 37 years. He gave up management of all his business concern to wife Flomencia when he became mayor, 1952 to 1955. He was the first mayor to be reelected. His eight years in office - - until 1959 - - were years of peace and public order despite the employment of very few policemen whom he even equipped with arms. But even before he became mayor, Erat already helped maintain public order. Many times he went alone to hunt bands of robbers and would arrest them single-handedly. Also when constables gave up search for the killer of Lingig’s police chief, it was him who arrested the criminal who fled towards He remodelled the municipal hall; began construction of the Mangagoy-Bislig road; built a puericulture center, constructed a public library; set up many barrio schools; improved existing streets and built new ones in the poblacion, Mangagoy, and Lawigan; and introduced many other improvements like the municipal kiosk, basketball and tennis courts, the Magsaysay monument, a mini children’s playground, better office equipments, hiring of full time medical staff, health and sanitation drives, more medicines, secured food allocations for school children, and others. Many times, Erat would spend his own to finance government projects and shoulder official transportation expenses. As mayor he never allowed Chinese nationals to engage in business in Mangagoy. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in During this time Erat founded the Andres Soriano Institute to provide decent education to the growing number of secondary school students in the community. In 1958, he almost ran for governor of Surigao against partymate and incumbent Governor Constantino Navarro who pleaded with him instead to run for vice governor. It was President Garcia who convinced Erat on the promise that in two years the province will be divided in two and he will be appointed governor of Surigao del Sur. So he ran for vice governor garnering even more votes than Navarro. In 1960, Garcia appointed him governor of the new province. He won a new mandate in the first provincial election in 1961. He served until 1963 when he was elected by an overwhelming majority of 14,000 votes. It was as if the people had vindicated themselves. In 1971, he lost again in another fraudulent election among the only incumbents who were always cheated. His arch political rival, Congressman Vicente Pimentel who called him “Emperor of Bislig”, commented once that they team up in politics. The distinguished legislator added they will make a formidable duo. But Erat refused because as he said “ it won’t be fun and exciting anymore.” By 1974, he was elected to the Sangguniang Bayan of Bislig until 1977 when President Marcos appointed him mayor again. In 1980 he was elected for another six years. During his incumbency he caused the surrender of many anti-government elements by going into their very own bastions. He was called to Malacanang to present rebel returnees to President Marcos. In another instance he went after another group of insurgents and recovered firearms stolen from the local constabulary barracks. The rebels also surrendered to him. He served until his death on April 8, 1984. At the time he was campaigning for a seat in the National Assembly. With his death his dreams to create Bislig a city upon election to the national legislature died with him. In between his occupancy of government posts the number of people who came to him for help never diminished. He always accommodated them. Erat was an exemplary public servant and recipient of many public service including the coveted Most Outstanding Mayor of the Mayors League of the Philippines, recognized him for exemplary performance, his integrity both as a private citizen and as a government official, loyalty, for his countryside development effort, leadership, sincerity in solving common people’s problems, selfless dedication to social and economic uplift of the masses, dedication to highest standards of public service, his efforts towards the ideal of good government, for his immeasurable contributions and meritorious accomplishments, and for his unwavering devotion to duty. He was assertive in any forum, Assemblyman Puyat recalls that at times President Marcos would come to his seat to beg him from filibustering some of the administration’s policies. When Marcos won the presidency in 1965, Erat was offered a choice of two cabinet posts either as Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources or as Secretary of General Services in recognition of his leadership and support for the President in that year’s presidential election. Marcos lost in Mindanao except in Surigao del Sur and in Among his many colleagues and friends still active today in politics were Governors Felicisimo San Luis of Laguna, Ignacio Santiago of Bulacan, Salvador Socrates of Palawan, and Governor Anacleto Alcala of Quezon who was his co-delegate to the International Assessors Conference in St. Louis, Missouri and who was with him in Europe, Jerusalem, Bangkok and Tokyo. Hesitant at first to enter politics, Erat realized later that his character was exactly cut out for it.
|