Historical Development of Santa Josefa(My Hometown)

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SANTA JOSEFA, AGUSAN DEL SUR

Long before the Spanish regime this spot was unknown to history because this place could not be considered even a sitio for it is a great stretches of bush land. This place then was yet enveloped with darkness and wilderness. Few families of natives who were wild settled this place. The municipality was not the exception of being peopled by the natives before the coming of the Commissioner. Although there were tribal in fighting they have also their own system of barangay government ruled by their chieftain Datu. Certainly, it was the land with abundance of wild life and fertile soil. However, during the conquistadors’ period, the invading Spanish-Filipino soldiers and priest headed by Father Saturnino Urios humbled the local paladins of Sta. Josefa. They were easily converted to Christianity and grasped the teachings of Jesus Christ so religiously that later they became subservient of the power of the cross.

Then came the early settlers from the Visayan Islands in 1946 that pioneered in the development of the place, which is Poblacion. The families were that of: DAFROSO QUIJADA, JUAN OTACAN, AURELIO CAGATIN, SR., JOSE G. LAGONERO. SR., ENRIQUE L. LARA, SR., and DOMINGO ROSALES. In roads occasionally perpetrated by the natives against the early settlers due to conflict of land acquisition. One of the leaders who successfully organized this village into a BARANGAY was the late PRIMO QUIJADA. As the Americans came, they took supervision of the place and they established primary schools.

During the Commonwealth Government under President Manuel L. Quezon, there was a complete supervision on Local Government and the late Primo Quijada became the first official who administered this barangay. Sta. Josefa got its name through a willful and wholehearted intention of a man who was then one of the most prestigious person throughout Mindanao and Sulu during the time. It was during the advent of the American regime in the country, under this form of government-there was the so-called Commissioner of Mindanao and Sulu, Hon. Teofisto Guingona, Sr., who sometime between 1944-45 visited the place officially and proclaimed the name of the place as Josefa in honor of his wife, JOSEFA GUINGONA.

The first leader who successfully organized the place into settled village was the late Primo Quijada. He also owned vast hectares of land. He ruled until the coming of the Americans and even during the period of the Commonwealth Government, he became the first official to administer the barangay.

The village progress in the course of years inhabited by people with mixed culture but one religion with one objective, to carve the niche of destiny so that one day, it will become a municipality.

In 1950-one, Mr. Bernardo Mulat Fuentes who, with his family happened to stumble in Sta. Josefa from Cebu organized the inhabitants into a goal-oriented individuals with the guiding principle of “ONENESS IS FOR PROGRESS”. It is said that Mr. Fuentes was successful in molding the place into a barrio (now barangay) and become the first barrio teniente, now Barangay Captain. More immigrants’ settlers came mostly from the Visayan Island.

It is within the period that the first Elementary School was opened and the first Principal was Mr. Magno Escrin, Sr., and the classroom teachers were Mrs. Escrin, Mr. Jose R. Oasan, and Mr. and Mrs. Faustino Ocampo.

Sometime in 1953 it was the time that Sta. Josefa feel the services of Public Health for it was in this period that Mr. Melquiades Salise, a Public Health Nurse was assigned in the area to answer the health needs of the inhabitants. His first office was in front of his house as the first health clinic or center.

In 1960 under the provision of the Local Autonomy Act as governed by R.A. 1515, Sta. Josefa became a Municipal District of the Province of Agusan (Agusan was not divided to two provinces before) with an initial budget or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of P15,000.00. The first elected Municipal District Mayor was Rufino C. Otero, with other Municipal District Councilors: Antonio Casiro, Pablo Otacan, Simeon Castor, Timoteo Barraca, Dafroso Quijada, Sr., and Pio Fuentes. Mr. Francisco Bermudez became the first Barrio Lieutenant when this was created as a Municipal District. The start of the logging operation was within this period and as part of the operation, roads were also constructed.

In March 1962, there was a big flood that submerged the whole municipality specially Poblacion underwater. This was followed in 1963 and 1964 of great floods that occurs within the months of December to March.

By virtue of Executive Order 147 dated March 31, 1965, President Macapagal officially signed the law creating the Municipality, classified as 7^th class with a GDP of P17,000.00.

In 1967, Local Election was held, The elected Municipal Officials was Carpin O. Plaza, Sr. as the Mayor, Simeon S. Castor as Municipal Vice Mayor; Municipal Councilors: Antonio Casiro, Sr., Moises Q. Gumban, Leocadio O. Gooc, Jose G. Lagonero, Sr., Cerial P. Plaza, Sr. and Daniel Viajar, Sr. The Municipal Government was operating with a P35,000.00 GDP. In June 1970, the Secretary of Finance has classified this municipality as 6^th class.

The Community High School was established in 1967 with Mr. Samuel S. Cornelio as the Principal and the faculties were Mr. and Mrs. Bienvenido Romaguera, Mrs. Corazon Piencenaves, and Mrs. Enriques, under the administration of Mayor Carpin O. Plaza, Sr.

When Agusan was divided into Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte, a special election for the provincial officials was called in 1969 with the Honorable Rufino C. Otero as the elected Provincial Governor. During the 1971 Local Elections, Carpin O. Plaza, Sr. was elected as Municipal Mayor, Simeon S. Castor as Municipal Vice Mayor; Pablo Q. Otacan, Leocadio O. Gooc, Jose G. Lagonero, Sr., Moises Q. Gumban, Laureano A. Prochina, Antonio C. Casiro, Sr. and Jose M. Aga as the Municipal Councilors. The function of the Local Administration was based on RA-2264 and RA-4185, with a GDP of P72,000.00.

On November 14, 1975, President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued PD 826 converting the Municipal Council into Sangguniang Bayan. It also provided for the participation of the different sectoral groups thru representatives as members of the Sangguniang Bayan. Chosen to represent the sectoral groups were Ludivico L. Viajar for the Industrial Labor, Avelino Bangero, Sr. for the Capital Sector; Sarah Bangero for the professional;

Aguinaldo Jamandre, Sr., as the ABC president , Falconeri R. Tabosares as the KB chairman and Ignacio Esencia as the representatives of the farmer sector.

In the same year, the Sangguniang Bayan chose Ludivico L. Viajar of the Industrial Sector to represent the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Local Election was held on January 30, 1980, Ludivico L. Viajar was elected as Mayor, Antonio Casiro, Sr. as Vice Mayor; Leocadio O. Gooc, Vicente Mondero, Pedro O. Cadungog, Brigido O. Plaza, Jr., Alonzo M. Lagonero, Victorio Magdua, Pacito Rocha, and Jose M. Aga as members of the Sangguniang Bayan; Aguinaldo Jamandre, Sr. as the ABC President was appointed by President Marcos as member of the Sangguniang Bayan on May 5, 1980. The Municipal Government in 1981 with a GDP of P857,337.82. Henceforth, the municipality progressed and is now a 5^th class municipality with a budget of P200,000.00 in 1983. Presently, this planning year 1999 it is still a 5^th class municipality with the GDP of P25 Million.

It was in 1974 that the grim effect of the Martial Rule was succumbed that reach the municipality, many became political prisoners. They were brutally handled and some even was salvaged to death. The 54^th PC Company does this. That in August 7, 1982 at about 10:00 P.M., Mr. Rodrigo Mordeno-a well-loved member of the community and a devoted parish worker and coordinator of the Diocesan Relief and Rehabilitation Program was gunned down by the military for his exposure to the human rights group the hamlet victims of Awao, Sayon, San Jose and Concepcion whose lives he touched by bringing them relief goods and helping them meet with those concerned to change the injustice of their condition, have lost a friend who showed he was willing to die for the hope that they might live more freely. For Sta. Josefa, he is the first offering of the Marital Rule. The assigned Parish Priest REV. FR. PIO M. EUGENIO, SVD, nuns, religious groups, NGO’s, PO’s, and concerned citizens reacted to the situation and made reports to the ouster of the undisciplined and abusive constabularies.

The Provincial Government constructed within the same period the overflow timber-bridge across the Agusan River. At this year, the residents of Sta. Josefa experienced easy accessibility in riding land vehicles in traveling to other places, no longer the sluggish water transport.

Pursuant to Presidential Decree NO. 27 Hacienda Maria was identified and covered by CARP under Operation Land Transport (OLT) Program. On January 13, 1975, Parcellary Map Sketching (PMS) was conducted and this was approved on September 14, 1976. The Department of Agrarian Reform caused the conduct of Parcellary Map Sketching of the 258 hectares and documentation of the 79 qualified farmers beneficiaries of the aforementioned land. In the second PMS, all area, which were not included in the first PMS, were already included and assigned with lot numbers but most of it were labeled as vacant.

On February 24, 1977, executed Landowner–Tenant Production Agreement (LTPA) between the Land Owner (LO) and the Farmer Beneficiaries (FBs) was received by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) that covered only 250.330 hectares. That the said Deed of Assignment of Right was registered in the Register of Deeds and annotated at the back of the Title of Hacienda Maria, Inc., on July 13, 1977. Instead of 250.330 hectares being assigned, the annotation made it appear that what has been issued was the whole land covered by the Title.

That after undergoing the process of documentation, in 1987, the DAR Office awarded the aforementioned lands according to the area in subdivision plan consisting the 481 hectares to 169 farmer beneficiaries and their Emancipation Patents were registered by the Registry of Deeds of the Province of Agusan del Sur. The Land Bank of the Philippines paid the Hacienda Maria, Inc. the value of the 258 hectares of the aforementioned lands, which has Operation Land Transfer Claim Folder. The other portion of 251 hectares at the time the Presidential Decree No. 24 took effect was second growth forest or not tenanted. In July 1996, Mr. Robert Tan alleged as the representative of the Hacienda Maria Inc. requested the office to assist him of his claim for compensation in 251 hectares of the said lands, which remains unvalued. This is where the controversy started between the ARB’s and the Hacienda Maria, Inc. The case is on-going with ARB’s legal assistance from NGO’s but some ARB’s were convinced and had signed for the negotiation scheme.

On August 22-25, 1990, Hacienda Besa was included in the CARP Program and on May 22, 1991, the survey in the subdivision for distribution to farmers under the Agrarian Reform was approved.

The Maria Cristina Hydro Electric Grid thru the Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative energized Poblacion in 1979. This was the first phase of the energization program of the government that expands to the barangays. They too experienced the convenient lighting facilities thru electric power.

Again, the inhabitants experienced another great flood in 1981. In 1984 another calamity horrified the municipality, an eight months drought occur.

In 1985, the National Government thru the Department of Public Works and Highways constructed the present concrete secondary national highway from NRJ Cuevas to Poblacion with the concrete bridge across the Agusan River, during the administration of Mr. Ludivico Viajar. In this project the constituents availed the comfortable utility of a concrete road no longer the hustle of the rough macadam road.

During the EDSA Revolution in 1986 a revolutionary government was established. There was a complete revamp of the National and Local Officials and were replaced by the OIC’s appointed by the DILG. They were MRS. SARAH S. BANGERO became the OIC Mayor of Sta. Josefa with OIC Vice Mayor FELICITAS RIO and OIC Municipal Councilors: JULIE Q. DAEL, LILIA ASEÑAS, ELBERTO E. LABOR, AMELITO F. CAGUIAT, DIOSDADO GUZMAN, VENERANDO QUIJADA, RODRIGO Q. CAGATIN, and REMEGIO B. EVANGELIO.

Geographically, the jurisdiction of this municipality is divided into two by the mighty Agusan River. The Eastern side and Western side as composed of 11 barangays. In the eastern side are Barangays Aurora, Pag-asa, Patrocinio, Sta. Isabel, and Tapaz. In the western side are Barangays Angas, Awao, Concepcion, San Jose, Sayon, and Poblacion. The western sides are the mountain ranges of Tandawan and Overview abutting the boundary of Sta. Josefa and Veruela. In the eastern side are the are flat marshy area abutting the boundary of Sta. Josefa and the municipalities of Bunawan and Trento. In the southern portion are mountain ranges of Awao, Angas, and Patrocinio abutting the boundary of Agusan del Sur and COMVAL province.

A political battle after the declaration of President Aquino on local elections in 1987 was marked by rigid and rigorous campaign in the history of the municipality. Four contending parties contested for the mayor’s seat. The winning candidates were as follows: Cerial P. Plaza, Sr., as Municipal Mayor; Leocadio O. Gooc as Vice Mayor; Mamerto P. Quinlat, Diosdado Guzman, Elberto E. Labor, Rudy P. Amador, and Amelito F. Caguiat as Sangguniang Bayan Members.

It was in 1987 that the farmer’s production was very low since their farms are dependent to the rain. Their expenses against income cannot met on both ends. To overcome this situation there was a construction of Communal Irrigation Project (CIP) in three barangays, Barangay Awao, Sayon and Angas, which benefited rain, fed rice-farmers presently, having a good harvest. This CIP was implemented last August 15, 1987, the present Mayor ISOCELES P. OTERO developed it continually with his supportive councilors and active barangay officials.

Within the period of 1989 – 1990, the first Municipal Health Officer was assigned in Sta. Josefa in the person of Dr. Jubane. It is in this time that the populace experienced the services of a Municipal Doctor. His office is the old Health Center situated about 100 meters from the Agusan River.

Mr. Antonio R. Floriendo, Jr. a businessman opened a Banana Plantation known as TADECO (Tagum Agricultural Development Company). TADECO was established last 1992, which occupied 1,035 hectares and 974 square meter total land area in the vast agricultural land of three barangays of Sta. Josefa. It is Barangay Aurora, Tapaz, and Sta. Isabel.

During the time, Sta. Josefa became profitable because many people are employed in TADECO. In that situation the Municipality of Sta. Josefa gain additional income, but it doesn’t last that long because TADECO was closed last 1996 for undefined reason. Simultaneously, the airstrip was constructed by the company for use of their planes in the aerial spray of the plantation needs, which occupied some part of land owned by Violeta S. Taguba, Avelino Piencenaves, Ludivico Viajar, Emmanuel Quijada and Rhodoro Quijada. The airstrip was later abandoned after the closure of the company, which the present administration of Hon. Isoceles Otero is proposing to

reconstruct thru the financial assistance of the Department of Transportation and Communication.

The year 1997 was the construction of the two-storey concrete municipal building under the administration of HON. CERIAL P. PLAZA, SR.

Last September 7, 1997 the Sta. Josefa Water Development System open to public under the management of the Municipal Budget Office, MR. JESUS S. GRANADA as the Manager who is also the Municipal Budget Officer. It is a Level III water supply and an economic enterprise of the municipality.

In the year 1998, there was rat infestation due to the massive destruction of the forest areas, which is their natural habitat where they get their food and shelter. Their predators where also hunted and killed for food by the present inhabitants which create environmental imbalance. This pest infestation damaged big hectarage of farm crops especially rice crops.

On January 5-8, 1999 as part of the program of the administration of Hon. Isoceles P. Otero, the LGU, thru the Office of the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator. Conducted seminar-workshop on Barangay Development Planning participated by the Barangay Development Council of the 11 barangays and later joined the HEED FOUNDATION, INC. (HFI), our local-Sta. Josefa-based NGO-headed by Engr. Fernando C. Salise as the Executive Director, in the conduct of the Barangay Development Workshop thru Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) - Community-based Information System by Social Census Mapping or data gathering as the first module and PRA-Local Development Planning as the final module where the Barangay Development Plan is formulated basing upon the data gathered in the social census map. In this process the BDC with purok leaders and representatives will do the planning themselves, of course with the manipulating skills of the NGO and LGU. All the eleven (11) barangays have now their 5-year development plan in an on-going implementation. A Barangay Administration Day is scheduled on November 2000, to sell the plan to invited financing institutions as the pledging session of the 11 barangays. This marked the coordinated effort of the LGU and NGO as mandated in RA 7160 in the development for progress of the countryside, which was before a constraints since LGU and NGO are

having barriers of political reasons. Thanks to the progressive thinking of the present administration as the catapult to a wider horizon of advancement for economic progress.

On June 16, 1999, the Taphagan Dance Troupe of Sta. Josefa was the provincial champion in the Manobo Street and Ethnic dancing contest and 2^nd in the Drum and Bugle Competition held at the Provincial Government Center at Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur as part of the festivity in the Naliyagan Festival of Agusan del Sur garnering a total prize of P70,000.00.

This present administration of HON. ISOCELES P. OTERO, Total Agricultural Production and Development (TAP-D) is given top priority and by the year 2000 it will be one of the major Economic Enterprise of the Local Government Units of Sta. Josefa. The Wonder Feathers Program, backyard raising of wonder chicken, was introduced last March 11, 1999 and Swine 2001 Fattening Component last April 21, 1999 and the Swine 2001 Sow Level that was launched last July 5, 2000. This project is a financial and marketing assistance to the farmers and non-farmers as their backyard livestock raising. There is also the financial and marketing assistance to both rice and corn production to farmers. A joint project of the LGU of Sta. Josefa, under the Municipal Agriculture Office, MRS. JOSEFA D. SANTOS – Municipal Agriculturist as the Head of Office – Regional Awardee as the Most Outstanding Municipal Agriculturist in the Region, and Department of Agriculture Region 13-CARAGA.

In education, the Department of Education Culture and Sports implemented the Third Elementary Education Project (TEEP) where Sta. Josefa is a major beneficiary for having shared the biggest counterpart of P1 million. The municipality is number 1 in the whole Philippines. TEEP is a social infrastructure project that constructed twenty-five (25) new school building within the Municipality. The said buildings were constructed at the following Barangays; San Jose Elementary School 2-classrooms, Sta. Isabel Elementary School with 1-classroom, Sta. Josefa Central Elementary School with 6-classrooms, San Pascual Elementary School with 4-classrooms, Kaangayan Elementary School with 2-classrooms, Sayon Elementary School 2-classrooms, Tapaz Elementary School 2-classrooms, Patrocinio Elementary School 2-classrooms, and 4-classrooms in

Angas Elementary School. This TEEP Program was prepared with the total cost of P10 Million with P1 million LGU counterpart, Provincial Government Counterpart P1.5 million, and P7.5 million from the World Bank. The project was started on February 2000 and is supposed to be to be completed on March 2000. The Municipal Engineering Office, headed by the Mun. Engr. Juvylyn V. Bitang, is in-charge of the construction supervision with Engr. Apolinar R. Sarce as field in-charge of electrical installation under the supervision of Engr. Ferdinand Q. Gumban, Electrical Engineer with the approval of HON. ISOCELES P. OTERO.

For the environmental development the Municipality of Sta. Josefa through the initiative of our Mayor, ISOCELES P. OTERO, availed the Community-Based Resource Management Project (CBRMP) funded by World Bank thru the Department of Finance. The said project was implemented in our country, with the aim to reduce rural poverty and environmental degradation by enhancing the capacity of low-income rural Local Government Units (LGUs) and communities to plan, implement and sustain priority natural resource management projects; Strengthening government system and to transfer finance (as financial intermediaries) and environmental policies; and providing appropriate and adequate resource to LGUs to finance natural resources management. Livelihood and infrastructure development are the components of this project as support services to the targeted beneficiaries. And because our municipality belongs to 5^th class it availed only ten percent (10%) equity, 20% loan and 70% grant in the total project cost.

This CBRMP was approved to be implemented in our municipality by Under Secretary LILY K. GRUBA MDF-PGB Chairman last December 7, 1999 through the breathtaking presentation of HON. ISOCELES P. OTERO of the Sub-Project Proposal with the assistance of MPDC - MR. LEONARDITO A. PLAZA and MISS IMELDA L. JARDIN.

On July 26, 2000, Mrs. Juanita O. Granada, Sta. Josefa National High School Nutritionist, immerged as the 3^rd Placer of the National Meat Processing contest held at Manila and sponsored by the Department of Agriculture of her entry recipe of CHEVON NUGGETS.

However, in spite of the influx of migrants and modern technologies, the natives of the place still retain their own culture such as native song called TUD-ON taught by the old natives to the young generation. The tune and lyric of this song is like a lullaby.

Month of festivity of the Municipality is during May 30-31, where people celebrated their Town Fiesta in honor of their Patron Saint, St. Joseph. Intramural is held, with literary, musical, teatro, and cultural presentation and beauty contest as the highlights of the celebration.

On March 31, is the TAPHAGAN FESTIVAL that marks the day of its creation as a regular municipality. Taphag is a Manobo (the ethnic aborigines of the Agusanons) language for offering to the high spirits white native chicken or white native pig with fresh native chicken eggs and drinks (mallorca for it is very fragrant to the high spirits as one of their favorites) as thanksgiving for good harvest or simply asking permission to enter or construct a project in a certain site or asking favor to cure a disease. This is celebrated by inter-barangay competition of cultural dances of the Manobo Higaonon tribe, ethnic beauties, agro-trade fair in their respective booths, float contest, etc.

In 1998-2000 is the updating of the Municipal Comprehensive Land Use Plan of Sta. Josefa by the Municipal Land Use Committee and Technical Working Group with the full support of the MPDC Staff. The MCLUP as approved by the Municipal Development Council Resolution No. 01 Series of 2001, adopted by Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 55-2001, series of 2001, under the Administration of HON. ISOCELES P. OTERO, Municipal Mayor, Provincial Land Use Committee (PLUC) on 28^th day of May 2002, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No.215 Series of 2003 under the administration of HON. ADOLPH EDWARD G. PLAZA, Provincial Governor.

As this historical development of Sta. Josefa is conceptualized we will be pretty sure that on the next five to ten years another or more significant event will be a part of her voyage in her traverse of this new millennium and will be recorded in her annals of history.