VICTORIAS TOWN HISTORY: THE TOWN COUNCILORS AT THE WAKE OF DON FELIX MONTINOLA

On the previous post, I talked about the photograph of the wake of Don Felix Montinola on the second floor of municipio that he helped build. He died on September 25, 1949, seventy-six years ago this year (see blog here)

Somehow, another photograph taken during the wake surfaced. This is where the respected Victoriahanon and certain town officials of 1949 posed with the coffin of Don Felix.

Although some of the gentlemen's faces were familiar, I had to research the ones I was unfamiliar with. And with the help of some sources, including the Sangguniang Panlungsod archives (thank you to the very helpful SP staff!😊), I was be able to name almost all of them.

Standing on the lower left of the photo:

Don Agustin 'Toting' Jereza (left)(read Don Agustin's contribution to Victorias here) and Don Benito Montinola, Sr. (right) (read Chapter 21 about Don Benito Montinola, Sr. here). 

Standing at the back from the left down to the lower right:

The first gentleman is yet to be identified; the second gentleman is Mr. Cesar Hedriana. Next to him is former Mayor Hector M. Montinola (mayor from 1946-1950), then Mr. Jose Ma. Fernandez, Mr. Vicente Vitar, Mr. Genovevo Bainosa, Mr. Juan Villegas, and Mr. Jesus Suarez.

The wreath behind Mr. Hedriana was from the "Municipal Council", while the wreath at the center was from "Rep. and Mrs. Carlos Hilado". Yes, it was from Representative Carlos Hilado of the Second District of Negros Occidental, after whom the Carlos Hilado Memorial State University in Talisay City was named.

Although this photograph is an image of sadness because of a passing of a former town leader, it is historical portrait of the former town councilors of Victorias.😊

#victoriashistory #victoriascity #negrosoccidental #history #historian #blogger #donfelixmontinola

SEPTEMBER 25, 1949: THE WAKE OF DON FELIX L. MONTINOLA AT THE AYUNTAMIENTO OF VICTORIAS TOWN

On September 25, 1949, Don Felix L. Montinola, who was the 9th mayor of Victorias from 1934 to 1940, died peacefully in his home in Victorias, Negros Occidental, surrounded by his wife, Doña Dorotea Montinola, her children and grandchildren.

During his term as mayor,  he built the municipio in the late 1930s with the help of then President Manuel L. Quezon (read blog here).

At his wake, held at the second floor of the ayuntamiento (town hall) or municipio (as what we call it in the Philippines) that he helped build, his beloved Victoriahanon as well as politicians from the province and neighboring towns and cities also came to pay their last respects.

After a requiem mass in Victorias, his funeral cortege made its way to the Montinola family's mausoleum in Saravia and along the way, homes were seen hanging black cloth on their windows to show their respect to a great man.

Although Don Felix was born in Jaro, Iloilo, on February 16, 1864, he died as a real Victoriahanon. (See the photograph and read the story of his birthday celebration in 1940 here).

Don Felix was 85.🙏

(Read chapters of the History of Victorias here)

#DonFelix #ManuelLQuezon #history #historian #Victorias #Saravia

Philippine History: Chapter 30 - Don Felix Montinola Memorial College of Victorias, Negros Occidental

(The bust of Don Felix Montinola that was displayed at the administration office of his school.)

In Chapter 16, I wrote about Don Felix Montinola, Sr. and his legacy in the town of Victorias, and in the same chapter (read blog here), I mentioned about his family's founding of a school two years after he died. The school was established with the encouragement and help from his nephew, Don Agustin M. Jereza, the son of Don Felix's older sister, Valentina. Don Agustin, an engineer by profession, founded his own school in Cebu City, the University of Southern Philippines (USP) that attained university status on July 8, 1949. That same year, on September 25, Don Felix died.

When he was still alive, Don Felix Montinola, Sr. already envisioned opening a school and even discussed the idea with his wife, Doña Dorotea Montinola y Magalona, and his children. In 1937, Don Felix saw firsthand the success of the University of Southern Philippines, then named The Southern College, when he visited USP in Cebu City to receive an honorary degree honoris causa. He was recognized for his contributions to the town of Victorias. Although he was the 9th mayor of Victorias, serving from 1934 to 1940, he was already an active civic leader even before he was elected mayor. In 1907, he directed stage plays to raise funds for the town's small municipio made of nipa (read Chapter 11 here). Taking after him, two of his sons, Hector and Benito, became the 12th and 14th mayors, respectively (read Chapter 21 here).

On September 24, 1951, the Don Felix Montinola Memorial Institute was set up and its location was right at the town center of Victorias, across the public plaza on a land owned by his family. The school building started with a few classrooms and gradually grew using strong timber from Mindanao and with a simple letter 'L' lay-out that would maximize the lot size over which the school would stand. The school library would be on the second floor along with the principal's  and administration offices, while most of the classrooms would be on the ground floor. There were two staircases, each with a landing, going up to the second floor, both made of sturdy wood that would produce loud thumping sounds when students ran up and down, especially when rushing late to a class. From the main entrance, one could use either the right or the left staircase going up. The school canteen, located on the ground floor, was right below the library. The canteen had big windows on its Osmeña-Highway side through which anyone at the street could buy refreshments. During recess, students and teachers could walk in to get some snacks, while other students brought their own lunch, or balon, and could in the school premises, but some students crossed over to the Victorias public plaza, sat under the shade of the big trees, and enjoyed their balon with their classmates. In those days, their balon would be wrapped in banana leaves, then wrapped again in an old newspaper. The balon was accompanied only by a spoon; no need for a fork. On rainy days, the main concrete corridor on the ground floor that connected the main entrance to the last room at the western end of the school was turned into a path where CAT officers and cadets practiced their march and drills as it was about 50 meters long. In the original design of the rooms on the ground floor, the rooms could be turned into one, big connected room as they were all separated by accordion doors that could be closed during classes and opened when there was a program or seminar. 

The entrance of the school was oriented to the southwest, facing the Osmeña Highway. The flagpole that was erected on concrete foundation in 1952 was at the eastern end of the school campus. Then, the students had a dirt playground using the adjacent lot that is now a commercial area. This dirt area used to host the sports games with the four flag poles for the colors of the freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors erected next to the concrete structure that housed the toilets.  In the later decades, more classrooms would be added on the second floor when the school included college courses to its curricula. In the afternoons after dismissal, the school's drum and bugle corps would practice its drills and march along the Jover and Miraflores Streets, filling the neighborhood with its lively music and drumbeats. On Saturdays, the Citizens' Army Training or C.A.T. sessions for juniors and seniors were held on the dirt playground. 

From the start of the first school year, the University of Southern Philippines had lent its support to the school by providing its experience, faculty, and curricula. This was why most of its earliest faculty members were from Cebu. USP's support made Don Felix Montinola Memorial Institute (later, Don Felix Montinola Memorial College) a popular private school with students even coming from nearby municipalities. Its tuition fees were affordable even to the daily wage earners, and its location was very convenient to the young students.

(The lady in a white dress and black belt is Miss Nita Castellano, a teacher, while the other lady is Miss Julieta Barrientos who worked in the administration office. Taken in the late 1950s along the Osmeña Highway in front of the Victorias public plaza. The school is on the right side of the photo. Read blog here.)

(March 8, 1955: the College Day celebration with the school's muse at the stage with her escort. The other pairs at the foreground are (from the left):

Virgilio Hollero and a lady from Escalante; Cesar Torema and Rosario (?) ; Igong Lozande and Thelma Seballos; Aniceto Carumba and Lilia Estribo.

The young lady in a white gown is the young Ms. Estela Fermin, a great granddaughter of Don Felix. Her father was former Victorias mayor, Jesus Fermin.)

When the school celebrated its 40th year in 1991, it published a souvenir program that included a list of past principals and assistants to the principal as well as its faculty that year. 

These are the past directors, principals, and assistant to the principals of DFMMI as appointed for the school year indicated, until 1991:

1951 - 1952: Mr. Arturo Filoteo was appointed as school director; he was affiliated with USP. Mr. Moises Villegas was the principal; he was also from USP.

1952 - 1953: Mr. Alberto Farol was appointed director and was also sent by USP. Mr. Felipe Garcia was the principal and was also from USP.

1953- 1954: Miss Mamerta Mendoza was appointed as principal; she was also from USP.

1954- 1955: Miss Mamerta Mendoza remained as principal.

1955- 1956: Miss Carmen Saso was appointed as principal; she was also from USP.

1956- 1957: Mr. Felipe Garcia was appointed as director; he was also from USP. Miss Leticia Villegas appointed as principal; she was the first Victoriahanon to become the school's principal.

1957 - 1958: Mrs. Luisa Campos-Montinola was appointed as directress, while Miss Leticia Villegas remained as principal. (Mrs. Luisa Campos-Montinola was the wife of Mr. Benito M. Montinola, son of Don Felix Montinola and also a former mayor of Victorias).

1958: Rev. Fr. Vicente Montinola became the director, while Miss Leticia Villegas remained as principal.

During the school year 1985-1986, when the school added college courses like junior secretarial and degrees in education, it tied up with the West Negros College and Dr. Potenciano Julom was appointed dean, while Mrs. Nelly H. Parreño became the principal and assistant to the dean.

For school years 1986-1987 and 1987-1988, Dr. Julom remained as dean, while Mrs. Lorna Garcia was appointed principal. From 1989 to 1991, Mss. Montserrat T. Villalba was the dean and principal. In 1990, more classroom were built on the second floor to accommodate the increasing number of high school students and the evening classes for college courses.  

(The photo above shows a section of the graduating class of 1955 with class officers sitting in front with the teachers. Those seated from the left are: Rolando Ancan (student class officer), Rosario Dequiña(?) (student class officer), Mr. Pajares, Mr. Hernani Fuentes, Miss Cui, Miss Jesena, Mr. Arturo Filoteo (director), Miss Mamerta Mendoza (principal), Miss Padilla (who later married Mr. Hernani Fuentes), Mr. Villegas, Miss Erlinda Ynayan (student class officer), and Ramon Delgado (student class officer). This was taken in front of the municipio of Victorias.)

(The photo above shows Section II-A of 1952-53, meaning Section A of second year students. The girls' sections were separated from the boys, and the higher sections were reserved for girls. The man seated in the center with hands on his lap is Mr. Arturo Filoteo.)

Featured in 40th anniversary souvenir published in 1991 were the following faculty members, the candidates for the Search for Miss DFMMC 1991, and the board of trustees and administrative staff that year:

                   College Department faculty:

High School Department faculty:

Candidates for Miss DFMMC 1991:

Board of Trustees and Administrative Staff:

By the way, in Chapter 18 of the History of Victorias City, a chapter devoted for some scary stories known in Victorias, the school was mentioned because of a 'kapre' that was believed to have been haunting its premises at night (read blog here). The 'kapre' who made his presence felt in the DFMMC grounds was 'captured' in a black-and-white photograph taken as students posed at the main entrance of the school. 😱

The photograph, which was in the possession of the school's treasurer, was borrowed by a former faculty member and was never returned. Taken during daytime, it showed a group of students standing and smiling at the entrance of the school, while the 'kapre' was seen leaning on the Jover-Street side of the building towering over the students as his height reached the windows of the principal's office. He wore white trousers and a white shirt tucked in with a black belt. His face, although seemingly complete with human features like eyes, a nose and a mouth, was shaped differently and did not exactly look like the face of any local. As an alumnus, did you have a scary story about the kapre in Don Felix?😱

Although the school closed in 2015, it produced thousands of alumni who continue to keep alive the spirit of a Felixian every year through their alumni homecoming.😋

#donfelixmontinola #donfelixmontinolamemorialcollege #victoriascity #victoriaslgu #history #historian #USP #universityofsouthernphilippines #victorias #negros #philippines 

Foto-óleo: A Portrait and The Lost Art Form

I stumbled upon the exhibit (link below) of the National Museum of the Philippines titled "Larawan at Litrato: Foto-óleo and Picture Portraits of the Philippines (1891-1953) (see link below) and realized that I have seen recently this kind of a portrait somewhere at home.

National Museum - Foto-oleo exhibit

So, I inspected the 'portrait' by following the description of a foto-óleo provided by the National Museum of the Philippines. The 'portrait' is foto-óleo!😄

It's a portrait of Don Felix Montinola, former mayor of Victorias in the 1934-1940. It was during his term that the município of Victorias was built (read blog here).

His foto-óleo portrait was made by Tinsay Art Studio in Manila before World War II broke out and was brought by the family to their old home in their hacienda in Manapla when they evacuated in the early months of 1942. Before the Japanese Imperial Army arrived in Victorias on May 27, 1942, the Montinola family already brought their belongings, including family portraits and furniture, to the hacienda. 

Their original mansion in Victorias standing in front of the public plaza, like all big houses then, was eventually burned down by the Filipino guerillas to prevent the Japanese from using them. Even if the mansion was spared by the guerillas, it would still have been burned down by the Japanese soldiers themselves when they had to flee Victorias to retreat to the mountains of Silay in order to escape the US Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE).(read blog about Victorias during World War II here).

This foto-óleo portrait was done around 1939-1941, a few years before World War II, to celebrate Don Felix Montinola's mayorship in Victorias. It must have been 'ordered' by her second eldest daughter, Salud Montinola, in Manila, and their relatives there must have recommended the Tinsay Art Studio, among other studios that made the same foto-óleo art then. (Read blog about Salud Montinola here).

According to the National Museum of the Philippines, "foto-óleo is an art form popular during the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, prior to the invention of color photography. It was executed by applying oil paint directly on black and white photographs to make it more life-like and visually-pleasing.

While the practice may be traced in Europe and the Americas, foto-óleo artmaking was adopted by artists in the Philippines and made them their own, turning unique portraits that highlighted jewelry, rosary beads and medals. Artists in Negros may have invented the decoupage style of portraiture, on which painted headshot photographs were fixed on the shaped wood and framed and glazed on both sides. In the course of our research, we found that foto-óleos were especially popular among prominent Filipino families. These were mainly kept by succeeding generations in family homes, serving as memento of loved ones. Among the photographic studios in which they were produced were Filipino, Hollywood Art, Luz, Luzon, Sabater, Tinsay Art, United Portrait Artists, Venus and X'or Studio." 

Don Felix Montinola did not have to travel to Manila for this foto-óleo portrait. Tinsay Art Studio only needed his black and white photo which the studio then turned into foto-óleo.

The portrait's size is 17 inches by 23 inches and is encased in a glass frame with heavy wood panels. The width of the panel is 3 inches, and the size is 23 inches by 29 inches. The back shows that the panel was closed by nails and has an eye hook for hanging. It was a surreal experience for me to run my hands on and around the wooden frame as I feel the artistry and the craftsmanship of the artisan who created this foto-óleo portrait that has since become a family heirloom.😎

In the exhibit of the National Museum, there are portraits from homes around the country, including the beautiful foto-óleo portraits borrowed from the Balay ni Tana Dicang Museum in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. 

Don Felix Montinola's foto-óleo portrait was left behind in their hacienda in Manapla when the family went back to Victorias after the war ended and was kept there until recently. 

The foto-óleo art form has been lost forever when color photography was introduced in the Philippines, which means these portraits are rare, and must be properly cared for and treasured.

Do you have an foto-óleo portrait hanging in your living  room?😊   

         (A painting of Don Felix Montinola y Lozada)

#nationalmuseum #Philippines #art #fotooleo #Tinsayartstudio #donfelixmontinola #history #historian #portrait #museum #heritage

A Special Breakfast: Popped Pinipig and Tablea Tsokolate

According to my mother, Tiyô (Don Felix Montinola) and his wife, Lola Teáng (Doña Dorotea Magalona Montinola), would enjoy breakfast in the old days at their home in Victorias City, Philippines, with the popped pinipig on their plate over which they poured warm tablea tsokolate. 

Don Felix probably had these as breakfast at their home in Jaro, Iloilo, even before he decided to find fortune in Negros island in the 1890s. And it was Don Felix's unmarried sisters, Encarnacion (Dakô) and Priscila (Muchi), who taught my mom how to pop the pinipig and also how to make a mean cup of tablea tsokolate in the 1950s. (Read blog about Don Felix Montinola here).

Today, a portion of the pinipig was roasted; another was popped by quick-frying in boiling cooking oil. These were then paired with warm tablea tsokolate using the carabao's milk I bought from Casa A. Gamboa in Silay City, Negros Occidental, Philippines, at last weekend's Slow Food Earth Market.  The pinipig was from the dinorado rice grown by the Mailum Organic Village Association of Bago City, Negros Occidental, and it was fun roasting the rice myself and then pounding them on a lusong after. And as I roasted the dinorado pinipig, its fragrance wafted as if to announce that a treat was about to be enjoyed.

While the roasted pinipig was hard until soaked in tablea tsokolate, the popped pinipig was softer and crunchier. No wonder Don Felix and Lola Teáng preferred the latter.

The pinipig and tablea tsokolate are the tastes and flavours of the past, having been enjoyed and taught to us by our elders whom we continue to remember and celebrate every time we enjoy these outselves.

This wasn't just a meal of pounded rice and warm beverage. This was a breakfast of memories.😋

#memories #tableatsokolate #pinipig #breakfast #slowfood #slowfoodcommunity #earthmarket

Kay Leni Tayo: The Sumilao Farmers at Lakad ng Pamilyang Magsasaka

Upon learning about their planned 400-kilometer walk around the Philippines to help campaign for VP Leni Robredo and seeing that they would pass by Victorias City (Negros Occidental), I immediately contacted their Facebook page.

I asked whether they could stop by our Leni-Kiko Pagmamahal Center that's just situated along the national highway.

It was just wishful thinking when I messaged them. But fortunately, Mr. Minyong Agsaluna, the contact person who was traveling with the farmers, agreed to stop by Victorias.

And stop they did!

The group consisted of 17 Sumilao farmers (from Sumilao, Bukidnon) and the rest were officers and support.

The Leni-Kiko volunteers were happy to welcome them, even for just a short time, in Victorias City.

And even when we did not have funds for the campaign, we were able to give them some bottled water and snacks that they brought with them on their way to Bacolod City, where they would be met by a caravan and supporters as they walked to the Bishop's Palace.

The Sumilao Farmers must have covered most of their planned route by now of 400 kilometers on foot (2,000 kilometers caravan).

Maraming salamat sa Sumilao Farmers sa tulong sa pagkampanya para kay Leni, Kiko at Ka-TROPA. 😋

#AngatBuhayLahat

#GobyernongTapatAngatBuhayLahat

#Ipanalona10toParaSaLahat

#7KikoPangilinanBisePresidente

#KikoAngManokKo

#LetLeniLead

(Part 2) A Victoriahanon 1940 Historic Photograph: Don Felix Montinola and His Honored Guests

And out of nowhere, this black-and-white photograph, that was hiding in the dark for decades, saw the light again.😎

But before I talk about the one above, let me tell about the one below - the photograph I stumbled upon five years ago that is about Don Felix Montinola and his guests at his birthday luncheon (read blog here). 

                   (Guess who came to lunch today.🍴)

With the help of certain people who were kind enough to share their memories, I was able to identify some guests on that table.

And all these years, I thought it was the only photograph taken during that special occasion celebrating the 76th birthday of the young town's 9th mayor. After all, in 1940, you would have to visit a photographer's studio to have your picture taken.

Or in this case, you needed to invite one to your house to capture the memories of the day.😄

And then, last week happened.😱

Just by chance, another photograph came to light, literally. I was told it was hidden in a tin box for decades along with a few other important black-and-whites and I presumed this one was taken before everyone sat for lunch that day. Some guests in the photograph taken at the comedor probably arrived late as they are not in this photograph taken at the sala.

Fortunately, this 'new' one was safely kept all these years, hiding in the dark. But it suddenly resurfaced as if the faces in the photograph yearned to be remembered once more.😊

This is the photograph, taken in 1940 and colorized in 2020, and taken by a photographer from Gamboa's Studios of Silay.😉

                      

("Recuerdo en el 76 cumpleaños del alcalde Dn Felix Montinola Victorias, 17 Febrero de 1940")

Just like the one taken at the luncheon table, still sitting in the middle are Doña Dorotea Magalona Montinola, former governor of Negros Occidental Valeriano Gatuslao (to her right), and Don Felix Montinola (to her left).

Behind them standing (among other guests) are Don Felix's children and his son-in-law. 

From left to right and starting with the lady standing behind Governor Valing Gatuslao are Doña Quintina Montinola-Fermin, Victorino Fermin (her husband), Doña Salud Montinola (behind Doña Dorotea), Doña Luz Montinola (the lady in a white dress with black buttons), Don Hector Montinola (the 12th mayor of Victorias), Don Felix Montinola, Jr., and Don Benito Montinola (the 14th mayor of Victorias).

The gentlemen standing on the leftmost (with hands in pockets) is Don Epifanio 'Panyong' Torre, who had three children: Dr. Pablo Torre, Alfonso Torre (father of actor Joel Torre), and Lina Torre-Ascalon. 

Although we don't have a name for the foreigner standing to Don Panyong's left (must be an American), the ladies next to the foreigner are Lina Torre-Ascalon, Nita Ardosa-Ortigas, and Choleng Suarez-Ascalon, who's wearing a black dress. The gentleman (partially covered and standing behind Lola Tina (Quintina Montinola-Fermin) is Tony Ascalon, the husband of Choleng Suarez Ascalon and father of Jerry Ascalon, the architect of the Chapel of the Cartwheels. 

Also behind Lola Tinay is their next door neighbor, Don Porfirio 'Piryong' Ascalon. Next to 'Don Piryong' is Dr. Ramiro Hinlo and Jose Jover.

The gentleman behind Tita Luz (lady with black-buttoned white dress) is Dr. Licaros.

And just like the 1946 family photo of Don Viling Montinola taken in Jaro, Iloilo (read blog here), I was able to find how his (Don Panyong's) path crossed mine.

Don Panyong's daughter, Lina Torre married Gregorio Ascalon, who had a big house next to the school grounds of La Salle in Bacolod City - a house that they converted into a dormitory. And guess who boarded there? I DID! (I am from Victorias and I needed to stay in a boarding house in Bacolod City for convenience and probably for health reasons as well.) 😎

Their daughter, Mrs. Marilen Ascalon-Castellano, ran the dorm, which was separated by a creek from the school but was connected by a short footbridge. That black-painted pedestrian bridge was about ten steps long but I took less when I crossed into the school grounds. 

The bridge was made of wood and steel bars that shook when students crossed, and on some occasions, some boys deliberately shook it to frighten the girls crossing. And yes, flirty girls could be heard screaming as if they were actually going to fall into the creek. Both sides of the bridge were covered with cyclone wires probably to prevent students from jumping off when they get failing grades in Business Math, Cost Accounting or even P.E.😂

I am grateful for that bridge; I was never late to class.😀 I stayed at Nang Lina's dorm for two years during my junior and senior years as I finished my degrees in Economics and Accounting at La Salle. 😍

Going back to the photo, on the opposite side, the lady standing and carrying a baby is Inday Lydia Ledesma Quiatchon. The boy is Jose Victor Fermin, while the seated lady touching the boy is Inday Elsa Ardosa. 👪

So, thanks to the photographer from Gamboa's Studios that day who went to visit the old Montinola mansion in Victorias and choreographed the family and their guests at the sala, and who captioned photo in Spanish, we are able to get a glimpse of the life Negrenses led in the early 20th century, although I am not sure if the colors painted by the colorization app I downloaded are as close to the story the original black-and-white told. 😉

Sadly, in about two years after this photograph was taken, on May 27, 1942, the people of Victorias finally came to terms with World War II when Japanese soldiers walked into the town (read blog here), although even before that, the Montinola family endured the tragedies of war when four of its family members became the first Victoriahanon casualties of WWII on December 16 (or 17), 1941 (read blog here). 😭

As my sources for this photograph could not recognize the other faces therein, I share this with everyone whose ancestor might have been one of those guests who were welcomed into the home of Don Felix that day in a time when peace and prosperity were enjoyed by the Negrenses. 🙏

Now, on to the next find...😛

Philippine History: Chapter 24 - The Women of Victorias: Capitana Tutang, Paz Gonzaga, and Salud Montinola

Chapter 24 - The women of Victorias: Capitana Tutang, Paz Gonzaga, and Salud Montinola

Capitana Tutang and the women of Victorias
In the 1880s, after having been robbed and held hostage by tulisanes, Capitana Tutang, the grand old dame of Daan Banwa, outwitted her captors and even saved her maid, Micay, from drowning by dragging her to shore after they were both dumped in open waters at the mouth of the Malihao River (see Chapter 4) of the present-day Victorias City in the province of Negros Occidental in the Philippines.

Another Victoriahanon lady, Señorita Paz Gonzaga, the daughter of former mayor Sr. Ricardo Gonzaga, helped the poor town raise funds on May 22 and 23, 1907, that were needed to buy bamboos and nipa, and to pay for carpenters who would build a new município at the Embarcadero area on the land donated by Sr. Yap-Quiña (see Chapter 11).

Señorita Gonzaga, fresh from completing her education, shared her talent by agreeing to be the star of two stage plays that raised 680 pesos after deducting the expenses incurred in staging the play. She was asked to lead the play because she could speak fluent Spanish, the language of the play, and must have had the beauty and stage presence that could sell tickets. 

After writing both of these women's stories as part of our Victorias history, I realized that these two helped define the women during their time.

And after rummaging through the lives of the old Victorias, I am adding another woman's name to the list: Salud Montinola y Magalona, the second eldest child of Don Felix Montinola, town mayor from 1934 to 1940 (see Chapter 16).

(The 21-year old Salud Montinola y Magalona, 
as she was photographed in 1920)

Pharmacist by profession before the WW2
After obtaining her degree in pharmacy from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Salud came back home to Victorias and set up a small pharmacy right next to the family's stone mansion (that partly stood on the land where the present-day Petron gasoline station is located) along Calle Real (present-day Osmeña Avenue) dispensing and selling medicines to the Victoriahanons of the 1930s until the war broke out. 

At her pharmacy, her younger brother Hector Montinola, who later became the town mayor from 1946 to 1950, assisted her in mixing and compounding prescription drugs. 

Situated along the busy Calle Real (present-day Osmeña Avenue, the national highway), the dirt road passageway connecting Victorias to Manapla and Saravia before the construction of the stone municipal hall in the late 1930s, she must have made good business. 

On the northern side of Matinal Street (present-day Arnaez St.), right across her pharmacy, stood the Ascalon mansion (present-day Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), where the young Salud would greet every morning its residents, including Señora Paquita Ascalon, the sister of the last resident of the Ascalon mansion, Porfirio Ascalon. Señora Paquita, unmarried and a pious lady, stayed with the Montinolas at their Hacienda Dapdap in Manapla during the war. Señora Paquita and the young Salud were both very religious and were very close.

Señora Paquita led the praying of the Holy Rosary at Hacienda Dapdap every six in the evening during the war. She was joined by the whole Montinola family and by the hacienda workers. When the priests at parish churches ceased celebrating the holy mass at that time for fear of being killed by the Japanese soldiers, families at that time gathered daily to quietly pray for peace and the end of war.

Though the Japanese soldiers regularly visited Hacienda Dapdap to look for guerrillas, they were met and offered 'botong-botong' (long sugar candies) as a friendly gesture and to take their minds off from hunting them down (read story here).

(The 21-year old Salud Montinola y Magalona as photographed in 1920, a hundred years ago, which makes it the oldest photograph I have of a Victoriahanon.) 

Presidente de Centro de Puericultura de Victorias
In 1930, Salud Montinola became involved in civic activities. She was asked by the local town officials to lead the Victorias Puericulture Center, which was then registered at its official name, Centro de Puericultura de Victorias. She succeeded Mrs. Lourdes Tongoy. (I wonder if Mrs. Tongoy's husband was related to Sr. Eliodoro Tongoy, the town mayor from 1898 to 1902).

The puericulture center was where pregnant women received prenatal care and attention for their unborn child, and was located at the current location of the City's public health center.

According to the Philippine Public Welfare Commissioner's report of 1930, during her time as the head of the Centro de Puericultura de Victorias, the Centro's assigned head nurse was Miss Presentacion Torre and the head midwife was Miss Paula Perales. (The former became the wife of Sr. Felix Montinola, Jr. when they were married at the Montinola family's Hacienda Dapdap during the war.)

That year, there were 475 mothers and 735 children were registered at the Centro. Your great-grandmothers were probably one of them, and your lolo or lola might have been one of those 735 babies and toddlers.

Also in 1930, there were 1,731 pre-natal or postnatal consultations done at the Centro and 4,128 consultations for babies. Other consultations were 627.

That time, the nurses would make house visits, which, sadly, doesn't happen anymore. If you were pregnant and had difficulty moving around, the nurse from the Centro would visit you at home. These days, you have to visit a clinic for your pre-natal care or delivery.

(The Victorias Puericulture Center used 

to hold baby contests sponsored by Carnation.

The healthiest babies received 

Carnation milk as prizes.) 

One attending physician at the Centro during those years was Dr. Jose Valero who married Soledad Balbontin. Soledad, or Choleng to her family, was a daughter of Antonina Balboltin y Magalona, a sister of Doña Dorotea Montinola, Don Felix's wife.

"Outstanding hacienda of the year"

Being his second child and a strong woman with a profession to boot, Salud was favored by Don Felix Montinola to take charge of the family's hacienda operations.

While the men in the Montinola family were busy with politics, Salud experimented with new farm methods, introduced high yield sugarcane varieties, and gave importance to the hacienda workers' welfare.

At Hacienda Dapdap, she built houses for her workers, constructed a chapel and had a weekly mass said by a priest from Manapla for their spiritual needs, and opened a cantina at the hacienda where workers could buy rice, de latas, and other household items on credit. 

And in the late 1960s, she had a black-and-white television installed at the cantina where her workers could watch TV shows every night for their entertainment after their work at the fields. Providing this kind of nightly exposure to news and entertainment improved the overall hacienda morale, which in turn improved workers' productivity.

During the annual fiesta at Hacienda Dapdap that fell on September 9, the birthday of her mother, Doña Dorotea, a mass was held at the chapel and the workers joined in the feast of roasted cow and other delicious staples cooked during special occasions. Parlor games for the workers' children were also organized that made everyone feel the hacienda was one community that worked and played together.   

That's why under her watch, Hacienda Dapdap was a top performing hacienda in terms of production and hectarage sugar yield. 

Among the haciendas in the Victorias Milling District, Hacienda Dapdap was named "Outstanding Hacienda of the Year" and she the outstanding haciendera.

While the haciendas in the island were run by men, and her farm outperforming them all, this smart lady  from Victorias, who saw the big picture and knew how to react to challenges, beat them at their own game. 

And adapting the jargon of the 21st century, Salud Montinola - from Victorias - was the milling district's CEO of the year.😊

(Salud Montinola's Hacienda Dapdap was named Outstanding Hacienda of the Year)

Salud Montinola, her father's daughter
Salud Montinola was the second of the nine children of Doña Dorotea Montinola and Don Felix Montinola, who was the town mayor from 1934 to 1940, and who built the current stone município with the help of President Manuel Quezon and the Victoriahanons of that time.

Born on May 24, 1899, Salud Montinola and her younger sister, Luz, attended the St. Scholastica's College in Manila during the early years of the American Occupation. After high school, she continued her studies at the University of Santo Tomas where she finished a degree in pharmacy. 

Although she later became one of the few pharmacists in Victorias, as it turned out, this was not the profession that made her a distinguished businesswoman in the Negros sugar industry.

Although she was not the eldest in the family, Salud earned the trust of her father, Don Felix, to handle the family affairs, finances, and the operations of their haciendas. 

On the other hand, Doña Quintina, the eldest, had her own children to take care of and went through an unimaginable tragedy during the early days of the war (see Chapter 23) when three of her children perished at sea on December 16, 1941. Although she was not involved in hacienda operations, Doña Quintina, the mother of former mayors, Jesus Fermin (1964-1986)  and Renato Fermin (1988-1992), was also a hardworking lady who cultivated her own santol and mango orchards at her Hacienda Malogo (in E.B. Magalona), and had her own steady harvest of mongo, rice, lanzones, guavas, and other fruits, including pili nuts which she baked and turned into pili squares that could rival those made in Silay City. She even had her own rose garden, and had sheep and goats roaming around her hacienda. 

Don Felix must have seen part of himself in his daughter, Salud. She loved to work, knew how to look after people, and also loved to travel. She spoke Spanish and English, and had no children of her own as she was unmarried, which helped her focus on whatever challenge was at hand.

She was 'Inday Salud' to her fellow hacienderos and by her hacienda workers, 'Nang Salud' to her younger siblings, and 'Nay Salud' or 'Tita Lud' to nephews, nieces and their children.

Doña Salud Montinola died on September 24, 1977, (incidentally was my mother's birthday and the this chapter's number that was never planned!😱) at Hacienda Dapdap in Manapla. 

It was a sad Saturday. Tita Lud was 78.😢

Chapter 25 - Former Governor Melecio Severino's contribution to Victorias

Complete history blog: "Ang Kasaysayan sang                                                Victorias"

Philippine History: Chapter 16 - Don Felix Montinola y Lozada, mayor from 1934 to 1940

Chapter 16. Don Felix Montinola y Lozada, mayor from 1934 to 1940

Felix Montinola y Lozada was the fifth child of Benito Vasquez Montinola and Quintina Villa Lozada. Benito  Montinola y Vasquez, born in 1827, was the grandson of Juan Montinola and Maria Ysidra de Fuentevilla. Juan was said to have been a captain of the Spanish soldiers assigned to Iloilo at that time, while Maria Ysidra was a lady from Spain. 

I have written 'Felix Montinola y Lozada' using the Spanish naming system where his father's surname 'Montinola' (apellido paterno) is followed by his mother's surname 'Lozada' (apellido materno). 

The same system used when the Spaniards registered the name of the patriarch of the Gaston family, Yves Leopold Germain Gaston. 

His first names were 'Yves', 'Leopold', and 'Gaston'. But the Spaniards thought that his apellido paterno was 'Gaston' because of the Spanish naming system but his surname was actually 'Germain' (he was born in Lisieux, France). 

That's why I had to ask Monsignor GG Gaston about this because, when I was studying French (modesty aside, I formally and informally studied nine languages but with no practice, I can only speak six😢) at Alliance Francaise, our textbooks contained sample conversations and male characters would have names like 'Gaston'. And he confirmed that it was indeed an error by the Spanish registrars, but I think it was a 'good' error, I told him. 'Gaston' sounds more imposing, masculine, and well, easier to spell. 😀 

Going back to 'Dompeleks', as I heard kids pronounce his name during those days when the school named after him was still operating...

Juan and Ysidra were probably betrothed to each other when Juan left Malaga, Spain, and sailed to the colony in the Pacific in 1781 (or earlier?). Juan must have had invited Ysidra to join him when he finally settled in Iloilo, a charming city in one of the beautiful islands in Las Islas Filipinas, where she could hit the beach and enjoy fresh seafood any day of the week! Their first of five children, Manuela de los Dolores, was born in Jaro, Iloilo, in 1781.

From Jaro with love

Born on February 16, 1864, also in Jaro, then a city separate from Iloilo during the Spanish period, the young Felix Lozada Montinola crossed the Iloilo Strait and settled in the old town of Saravia (now the Municipality of E.B. Magalona) in the northern part of Negros Occidental in the Philippines.

In Saravia, he met and married the mayor's daughter (no less!) in 1897. Dorotea Gopulco Magalona was a daughter of Don Carlos Ledesma Magalona and Doña Agapita Gopulco Magalona. Doña Dorotea had seven siblings; she was also a cousin of Enrique B. Magalona. When Don Felix married, he was 33, while she was 24. (Enrique B. Magalona later became the town mayor of Saravia and a senator of the Republic of the Philippines. He was the grandfather of the late rapper, Francis M.).

And speaking of crossing from the Iloilo Province and into the Negros Island, migrating from Panay was not uncommon at that time. Even a number of Ilonggo soldiers made the same trip and joined Elias Magbanua in Sitio Guintabu-an in the old Saravia (read blog here) on August 19, 1899, to help revolt against the Americans that time. Some of the soldiers, after their successful excursion to Negros, must have stayed behind and settled in the old Saravia.

When he moved to Saravia, Don Felix brought along two of his unmarried sisters, Encarnacion and Priscila.

Don Felix and Doña Dorotea (Lola Teang to her grandkids) had eight children, who were all born in the old Saravia. But when the kids were grown and in order to be closer to his haciéndas situated at the north, the family decided to move to Victorias, then a growing, small town.

                    (Don Felix in his favorite pose)

Alcalde de Victorias

Don Felix was a quiet, dignified gentleman, always with his hands at the back when standing or walking about. On his free days, he'd visit his friend Sebastian Gonzaga, who had a home along the southbound side of the main highway in Victorias. Señor Gonzaga's house had a pharmacy in front and a small courtyard at the back (this spot is now occupied by Security Bank). The two friends would pass the morning playing chess and talk about the current events in their young town and province in Spanish. (My grandmother told my mom that the maninay of my mom, who gave her a crocodile tooth which base is encased in gold, was a mistress of Sr. Sebastian)😂.

When Don Felix became the ninth town leader of Victorias in 1934 (read blog here), he immediately started working on constructing the municipal hall, an idea he originally envisioned even before he became mayor - to build a municipal hall of Victorias that was worthy of its status.

Don Felix and President Quezon

When he became the municipal mayor, as part of his efforts to raise funds to build the municipal hall, Don Felix traveled to Baguio City to join President Manuel L. Quezon and other mayors. There, at a mountain resort caressed by fresh pine breezes, Don Felix asked the President's help to realize his dream for the town. 

His project cost about 30,000 pesos, a huge amount in the late 1930s. But with the help of President Quezon, local haciénderos and businessmen, as well as the people of Victorias at that time, Don Felix's dream, became a reality. (So, if you're a descendant of a Victoriahanon who lived here in the 1930s, your lolo or lola must have contributed to the construction of the município.).

(Mayor Felix Montinola, center and with hands at the back, posing with other mayors;
President Quezon stands to his immediate right.)

In the 1930s, traveling wasn't exactly as comfortable and speedy. It took him about three days to reach Baguio City: a boat ride from Bacolod to Manila, and a long car ride up the Mountain Province. With the roads that would eventually become the national highways not as wide, paved, and efficiently routed as they are now, sitting in a car that would pass through the Luzon countryside with pre-WWII roads was more of a sacrifice than a journey, especially if you were 73 years old! Yes, the things Don Felix at his age had to do just to make his vision for Victorias a reality!

Palacio municipal de Victorias: a statement and a tribute to Spain

In 1933, when the Provincial Capitol of Negros Occidental was completed in Bacolod City on the land previously owned by the Gonzaga family, its scale, grandeur, and beaux-arts architecture, not before seen on the island at that time, impressed those who had seen it up close, including Don Felix. 

Being the richest province in the Philippines in the early 20th century, Negros Occidental could afford to build its Provincial Capitol, which was more of a statement rather than just a huge office for public servants. 

This was where Don Felix got his vision: to build a 'palacio municipal' or municipal hall for Victorias, an edifice whose scale and architecture would serve as a statement for the young town, a message for all its visitors, and a source of pride for all Victoriahanon. 

Don Felix was proud of owning how the municipal hall would look like. Inspired by the Palacio Reál de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid) in Spain where his ancestors came from, he envisioned a stone building with an imposing facade and appearance that would awe and impress anyone standing before it. Following a few characteristics of the royal palace was Don Felix's way of paying tribute and homage to Spain.

Madrid's Palacio Reál also lent Don Felix the idea of placing a coat of arms that rests at the center of the building that is slightly elevated than the rest of the body. The municipal building's ground floor does not touch the ground because, being the preeminent public structure of the town, it had to be elevated above the earth by a few steps. Just like royalty, it is above everyone else.

And 80 years ago, after it was completed, the municipal building of Victorias became more than just a building that housed public service offices; it was one Victoriahanon's statement about his young town's place in the political and economic landscape, not just in the province, but in the whole country as well. 

That time, when the surrounding spaces in the young town were grassland, wooden homes, and trees, a huge structure made of stone, standing with exaggerated proportions in all of its dimensions made everyone stop in awe.

Before it was horribly painted forest-green and white (a shade that reminds me of a laundry powder), the ivory color of the municipal building reflected the red-orange hues of a setting sun as it faces northwest. Today, with those cheap-looking colors, there's no more semblance of the 'old world' character this historic building used to display.😂 

Who paints Roman columns green?! Or who paints royal palaces super-white?

Kabukî guid tulokon sang hitsura sang city hall naton.😡 

(They might as well throw in red paint 

to make it Christmas-sy.😒)

And they painted the coat of arms green?! It is the freakin' symbol of the town for crying out loud! Instead, they made it look like a Christmas decor. SMH.😖 And while they're at it, why didn't they just put Christmas lights around it so we could put wrapped gifts under?😕

(This old photo of the municipal hall shows its original classy and classic look with the prominence of the town's coat of arms and the twin Roman-Tuscan columns in stucco-ivory color that attracted one's attention. Now that the columns and coat of arms are horribly painted green, they are hardly noticeable as the dark color subdued their appearance. Sigh.😢)

Columns: a message in Roman architecture

Aside from its height, one character of the municipal hall that catches one's attention is the twin columns that followed the Roman Tuscan design.

During the Roman times, those meters-high, round, solid columns were not put there right in front of a building as decoration or a structural support; they were statements. As they were carved from huge stones and sourced from the far reaches of the Roman empire, they were costly and very difficult to transport to Rome where they eventually became part of an emperor's capricious building or another rich Roman's villa, using hundreds, or thousands, of workers and slaves in the process. The erected Roman columns' message: We are powerful and have vast imperial resources; so, we can afford these! 

Although I'm sure no slave worked on the columns of Victorias, nor was a solitary solid rock used for one, the engineers and workers still had a tough time perfecting the twin columns that greeted visitors to the building. 

One story I heard about the columns is this: The column on the left before it was painted over, bore two dents from bullets, the rustic remains of which left two brown trails that flowed downwards like tears of a tragic past, tragic because these holes were made during World War II. 

How I wished they should have left the bullet holes untouched as they were genuine trails of history and should have been worn by the municipal hall as a badge and a part of the Victoriahanon history that should be told.

Don Tuting Jereza and the two municípios

The late Don Agustin M. Jereza executed Don Felix's plans. He was a graduate of civil engineering at the University of Iowa and a nephew of Don Felix, being a son of Don Felix's older sister, Valentina. 

Agustin 'Tuting' Jereza was the man behind the actual construction. He was also the one who constructed the município of Saravia. That's why the municipal hall of E.B. Magalona looks like a miniature version of Victorias's. With Saravia's town mayor a cousin of Dona Dorotea at that time, a ready architectural design was already on hand; they just had to reduce the scale.

Don Agustin's contribution to Victorias also included his help in the development of the town's educational system. A few years after Don Felix's death, he helped the Montinola family found the Don Felix Montinola Memorial Institute in 1951 by lending the curricula, experience, and expertise as well as the teachers of the University of Southern Philippines, a university Don Agustin founded in 1927.

Born an Ilonggo mestizo, died a Victoriahanon

Don Felix died peacefully at the Montinola family's (read blog here) ancestral home in Victorias City, surrounded by his family on September 25, 1949. He lay in state for days on the second floor of the município he built before being finally laid to rest at the Montinola family's mausoleum in E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental, Philippines. 

During the wake at the second floor of his município, his beloved Victoriahonans came to view his remains, while officials and politicians from the province and neighboring towns as well as ordinary citizens joined his family at the requiem mass and funeral.

(Victoriahanons paid their respects to the late municipal mayor when he lay in state on the second floor of the municipal hall he built for them)

Although he was born in Jaro, Iloilo, it was in Victorias where Don Felix left his legacy. He was born as an Ilonggo mestizo, but he died as a real Victoriahanon.

(Don Felix and Lola Teáng were buried next

to each other in Saravia where he settled

in when he first arrived in Negros island.)

Chapter 17. Victorias life during World War II (1942-1944)

Complete history blog: "Ang Kasaysayan sang                                                      Victorias"