Don Sergio S. Osmeña Sr. and the Pulahanes of Tabogon, Cebu

During the early days of his governorship, Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. of Cebu showed the Cebuanos what leadership was. Don Sergio was appointed by the Americans in 1901 as Provincial Fiscal of Cebu, and he went after an American suspected to have raped an islander. Shortly thereafter, Don Sergio, then a young lawyer, was appointed to succeed Governor Juan Faller Climaco in 1904. In 1906 he was elected as Representative of the National Assembly, elected by his peers as the country’s first Speaker of the National Assembly, what is now known as the House of Representatives.

There was an important event in Cebu’s history that was forgotten, that was the surrender of Perfecto Esnardo, also known as Tan Pitong. Esnardo was the leader of the Pulahanes of Tabogon. The Pulahanes were patriots, they were veterans of the uprising against Spain and continued resisting the Americans who simply replaced the Spaniards as colonizers when we were sold by Spain to the United States through the document called the Treaty of Paris signed on December 10, 1898. They were branded by the Americans as brigands.

It was in Sitio Natin-ao, the hideout of Tan Pitong, that the latter surrendered to Don Sergio who was escorted only by the town chief, Juan Urot. and few of its constabulary officers. The surrender was unconditional owing to the integrity and fame of Don Sergio being just.

In the November 12, 1963 elections the people of Tabogon elected the following as its officials: Mayor Esteban B. Malazarte, Vice Mayor Camilo Q. Hortelano, and councilors Antero Dosdos, Porferio Neis, Antonio Quinain, Gregorio Mendoza, Pantaleon Toling, Fortunato Quinain, Jesus Garcia, and Alipio Tarucan.

Mayor Malazarte appointed Celestino Urot as municipal secretary, its treasurer was Teodorico S. Tan, while the chief of police was Arnulfo Monteron and Dr. Pedro Mangubat was the health officer. The municipal judge was Lucio Rodriguez.

Tabogon was erected as a parish on August 6, 1851 under the patronage of San Isidro Labrador. Its mother parish was Sogod. In its early years Tabogon was composed of the barrios of Malagase, Soong, Guindacpan, and Sumala.