THIS WEEK’S MILESTONES

July 19 to July 25

July 20, 1945

The gold and copper-rich Lepanto district in Mankayan town, Benguet province, was liberated after Japanese forces fell to the 66th Infantry Regiment of the US Armed Forces in the Philippines-northern Luzon. The guerrillas captured the heavily guarded mines after 27 days of fighting that reached Abatan and Loo Valley in Buguias town, also in Benguet. It was deemed an important victory because Lepanto had the largest mineral reserve in northern Luzon and its arms cache, which included grenades, automatic rifles and bayonet, was finally taken from Japanese control.

July 21, 1602

Former Spanish Gov. Pedro de Acuña granted Franciscan friars the license to build Hospital de Aguas Santos de Mainit, which led to the founding of Los Baños town in Laguna province. The idea to build a hospital stemmed from the discovery of hot springs that supposedly healed different ailments. They built the hospital made from bamboo and nipa, cultivated herbs and medicinal plants for patients, as well as assumed the role of doctors, nurses and pharmacists. The Franciscans’ efforts were later rewarded by the Spanish colonial government with the declaration in September 1615 of the former barrio of Mainit as a new municipality called Los Baños.

July 21, 1949

The municipality of Maria Aurora in Aurora province was formally organized by virtue of Executive Order No. 246, signed by then President Elpidio Quirino. It is composed of 14 former barrios of Baler (formerly a town of Quezon province), also in Aurora. It is the only landlocked town in Aurora and is the most populous, with 40,734 residents in 2015. The agricultural town’s major products are coconut, rice, vegetables and fruit crops. It is also where the 600-year-old millennium tree, or “balete” (banyan) tree, a popular tourist destination in the province, is located.

July 22, 1899

The civil government in Negros Island, called “Republic of Negros,” was established under military supervision through General Order No. 30. It was led by two governors—a Filipino civil governor elected by the people and an American military governor, who had absolute veto powers and was appointed by the military governor of the Philippines. It was short-lived and was later abolished on April 30, 1901. At the time of the creation of the civil government, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental were already separate provinces.

Canceled events: Due to the national public health emergency in relation to the new coronavirus disease , the Sinulog de Tanjay in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental province; Panagsogod Festival in Sogod, Cebu province; and Sandugo Festival in Bohol province, scheduled between July 19 and July 25, have been canceled by the local governments concerned. Compiled by: Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research Sources: Inquirer Archives, officialgazette.gov.ph, coa.gov.ph, mariaaurora.gov.ph, Historical Calendar (1521-1969), American Guerilla: The Forgotten Heroics of Russell W. Volckmann, Historical Markers (Regions I-IV and CAR), lawphil.net, negros-occ.gov.ph, su.edu.ph