THIS WEEK’S MILESTONES

April 11 to April 17

April 14, 1994

The Tumauini Watershed Reserve in Isabela province was established through Proclamation No. 355 signed by then President Fidel Ramos. It is the only watershed reserve in Isabela and straddles the towns of San Pablo, Cabagan, Maconacon, Divilacan and Tumauini. In June 2018, it was one of the five protected areas named as national parks through the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act. The law also renamed the 6,509-hectare protected area as Tumauini Watershed Natural Park.

April 15, 1897

Andres Bonifacio appointed Emilio Jacinto, who served as his adviser, the commander of the revolutionary army for the northern sector, which comprises the provinces of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija and the former provinces of Morong and Manila (now known as Rizal). The appointment was made official in a document that is part of a series of letters written by Bonifacio to Jacinto. The letters recounted the events in the Tejeros Convention in Cavite province, where Bonifacio was unseated by Emilio Aguinaldo as President of the new revolutionary government. Bonifacio declared the election results invalid due to allegations of fraud in another document, “Acta de Tejeros.”

April 17, 1945

The towns of Parang in Maguindanao province and Malabang in Lanao del Sur province were liberated from the Japanese forces. After the Japanese lost control of the Zamboanga Peninsula, the Allied Forces and Filipino guerrilla fighters moved to secure the two towns for the full utilization of an airstrip in Malabang and a harbor in Parang. The assault landings, which were initially planned in Malabang, were moved to Parang because the guerrillas already seized the airfield there.

April 17, 2019

Barangay San Vicente, one of the larger villages in San Pedro City, Laguna province, was officially divided into eight barangays through Republic Act No. 11295. The seven new villages carved out from Barangay San Vicente are Pacita 1, Pacita 2, Chrysanthemum, Rosario, Fatima, San Lorenzo Ruiz and Maharlika, bringing the total number of the city’s barangays to 27. The results of a plebiscite held in July 2015 showed a majority of residents voting yes to the creation of new barangays. At the time of the plebiscite, San Vicente was home to 92,000 people and several commercial and residential districts.

Canceled events: Due to the national public health emergency in relation to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Dinamulag Festival in Iba, Zambales; the Rodeo Festival in Masbate province; and the Panaad sa Negros Festival in Negros Occidental province, scheduled between

April 11 and April 17, have been canceled by the local governments concerned. Meanwhile, activities for the Capiztahan 2021 in Capiz province will be held online.

Compiled by Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research Sources: Inquirer Archives, officialgazette.gov.ph, Historical Calendar (1521-1969), neda.gov.ph, ncca.gov.ph, pia.gov.ph, pvao.gov.ph, psa.gov.ph, history.army.mil, “The Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and Katipunan” by Teodoro Agoncillo