From the Archives

(Note: Last Saturday it happened - those rare moments when I got time to clean-up my room. And beneath a pile of books, papers and magazines, I found copies of two articles which I wrote for the souvenir program during the 50th Calbayog Charter Day Anniversary Celebration on October 16, 1998. I was amused at what I wrote almost a decade ago. I thought it would be nice to share with you these articles. Let me first give you the one entitled FROM THE ARCHIVES.)

For purposes of introduction, this writer once held the position as Archival Officer at the Sangguniang Panlungsod. As the name of the position implies, one of my functions was to dust off old documents and other relevant papers for archival purposes.

The “dusting off” was a worthwhile experience. Found in the storeroom (read: cramped windowless office space accented by mouse and cockroaches ‘you-know-what’) were bound copies of resolutions and ordinances passed by the council from as early as 1925 – the time when the municipal budget of one million pesos was something really big. At the end of 1994, I managed to make an updated list of elected or appointed officials from the 1800s to the early 1990s.

With those materials I learned how the officials had a hard time adjusting to the new medium of communication – from Spanish to English. Take this: “... a resolution encouraging all animal-minded Calbayognons to raise animals …” or something to that effect. Then, there was this set of resolutions and official communications (in 1946) wherein the signatory as mayor (presidente interim) was a certain Andres Rosales. This raised my curiosity as Andres Rosales is not in the list of Mayors of Calbayog. Obviously more research needs to be done.

There was this torn page from the Leyes de Samar y Leyte, a publication in the 1940s, wherein the bishop instructed his clergy to prepare for the coming of the Japanese. Also found were some sketches / maps illustrating the location of watchtowers to be used in the defense against the Japanese invaders.

And who doesn’t like to read love letters? Or letters that were supposed to have been thrown away after being read. There was one letter wherein the guy was asking his girlfriend to return his things as it was the end of their relationship. Clue? The guy is a doctoral degree holder and the lady is a teacher. Both are still alive in their fifties or sixties and yes, they’re married, but not to each other.

Tempting as it might be, this article is not supposed to be for some gossiping of sort. It is also supposed to make all aware that there exists an archival office (as of yet, I will not call it as the City Archives) which has a decent (meaning: worth-your-while) collection of important papers that has relevance to the existence of the City of Calbayog.

As we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Calbayog, we might as well look back some fifty years before and see how Calbayog was, based on the archival records available so far.

On January 1, 1948 (yes, it was January 1 – New Year’s Day) the Municipal Council of Calbayog held its session at 9:30 A.M. In attendance were Pedro Pido, the Municipal Mayor, Ignacio Cui, the Municipal Vice Mayor and the councilors being: Pablo Makabidang, Gregorio Cano, Paciano Yabao, Primitivo Anita, Flavio Quiño, Roman Bautista and Pedro Libao. Casiano Asis was absent in that session. The (municipal) secretary was Ignacio Mahagcot. Their first resolution was (may I quote word for word, nothing added nothing taken out):
“…to congratulate as it is hereby congratulated, the newly elected Senators and the elected Provincial Governor and members of the Provincial Board of Samar, and wishing the prosperity of their administrations…”

They also expressed their congratulations to Rev. Fr. Pedro L. Yrigan who was ordained priest on December 20, 1947 by Bishop Miguel Acebedo. (Monsignor Yrigan said his first solemn mass at the Cathedral on January 20, 1948)

In one session, the council approved the fixed amount of per diem for the councilors: it was set at two pesos per session.

The town of Calbayog was hit by supertyphoon “Jean” on December 25, 1947. It resulted in a flood that rose as high as one meter. Learning from that experience, the council requested the amount of Twenty Thousand Pesos from Senator Jose Avelino for the re-opening of the canal “across the poblacion”. They must be referring to the present-day Rosales Boulevard.

In case you think that our clean-up drives are something new, think again. The council in 1948 declared February 16 – 22 of every year as Clean-up Week. With the Mayor of course, as the chairman and some heads of schools and offices as members.

Have you heard about “funeral diplomacy”? I came across this term in a news report on the funeral of Emperor Hirohito of Japan. During that event Heads of States attended the funeral and on the side, made official agreements on their respective country’s interests. That term came to mind upon reading the two resolutions the council passed on April 24, 1948 – nine days after the death of President Manuel Roxas. One resolution expressed their condolences to the family of the late President while the other resolution expressed their congratulations to Vice President Elpidio Quirino who then has been sworn in as President.

It was in the session on July 1, 1948 when the approval of the creation of the City of Calbayog was first mentioned. Anticipating some changes in (in their words) “employees and officials”, some sort of a committee was formed to handle the inauguration of the City and the appointments of new officials.

On September 15, 1948, they passed a resolution expressing gratitude to Senate President Jose Avelino AND Congressman Agripino Escareal of the First District of Samar for their efforts in the approval of Republic Act 328 which created the City of Calbayog.

The Municipal council held its last session on October 1, 1948. The next session – that of the City Council – was held on October 23, 1948. The Mayor was Pedro Pido and the Vice Mayor was Ignacio Cui. The City Councilors were Matilde De Los Santos, Florencio Dimangay, Flaviano Quiño, Pablo Macabidang, Victor Doroja, Rufino Pido, Petronilo Pallones and Francisco Miano. Amado Ygrubay, who will later serve as mayor, was the Secretary. From the 1920s to 1948, the three-year term of office Municipal Officials ends on October 15.

It has been fifty years and the city officials are still dealing with well, almost the same matters: money (or budget), infrastructure, revenue ordinances, tax codes, cleanliness and beautification, felicitations, social services, disaster preparedness, and the like (and not to mention bickering on the side). All of these we can’t do without. After all, matters like these are the essential elements of that which we call politics.

The Calbayognon certainly has gone a long way. The methods by which official papers will be archived have certainly advanced and it assures us that a wide array of reference materials will be available for the next generations of Calbayognons. One question though – we have advanced or “high tech” office equipments, what about some of the employees? Ciao!