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Mayor Requejo |
Vice Mayor Regulado |
The municipality of Canaman will celebrate its 408th fiesta from August 14 to 16 but the festivities will actually last for more than one week starting on August 8.
Mayor Emmanuel Requejo, who has been elected to his fourth term last May following a hiatus of two terms when he did not run after completing the three-term limit, said the celebrations will give emphasis to the glorious historical record of the town. It is one of the first towns not only in Camarines Sur but also in the entire Bicol Region to be evangelized. It is also where the famous Tangcong Vaca Guerilla Unit, which on many occasions repulsed the Japanese invaders, was organized.
Mayor Requejo recounts that the heroic guerilla unit was organized on March 8, 1942 at barangay San Nicolas under the leadership of then 33-year old Elias Madrid, a native of the town who although lacking in charisma and military experience was well-respected because he studied in the United States and had resources. Organizers included Sgt. Juan Q. Miranda, a nephew of Madrid in the Philippine Army who became congressman after the war; Leon Sa. Aureus, a newspaperman from Libmanan who became Naga City Mayor, Policarpio Madrid, brother of Elias; Damaso Requejo and Leoncio Requejo who both served as intelligence operatives. The Tangcong Vaca Guerilla Unit launched many devastating assaults on the enemy the most significant of which was the Battle of Taguilid Pass on November 8, 1942. In that encounter General Tanaka, believed to be the highest ranking Japanese officer at the time in the country was killed along with Lt. Col. Takichi, commander of Japanese forces in Camarines Sur and scores of Japanese soldiers.
On April 13, 1945 Miranda completed the liberation of Naga.
Brothers Damaso and Leoncio Requejo both served as mayor of Canaman after the war. The incumbent mayor is the son of Damaso Requejo.
Dr. Danilo M. Gerona, a well-known Bicolano historian who is a native of Canaman, says that historical records show that a village called Canaman had been assimilated into the encomienda system as early as 1581. By 1591 a Spanish officer named Capt. Gregorio Sanchez was awarded the encomienda consisting of 1,200 residents.
Franciscan missionaries Friars Pablo de Jesus and Bartolome Ruiz pioneered in the evangelization of Canaman in 1578.
The church of Canaman is considered as one of the four remaining monumental relics of Spanish colonial presence. The first Church of Canaman dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul was erected in the early 1580s.
In 1669 fray Acasio de la Concepcion constructed a new church of stone and bricks dedicated to Our Lady of Assumption.
Two markers had, in fact, been erected in the town by Mayor Requejo during his previous term. The first one commemorated the organization of the Tangcong Vaca Guerilla Unit and the second one marked early evangelization of the town more than 400 years ago.
Aside from Mayor Requejo, incumbent elective municipal officials include: Vice Mayor Venancio Regulado, Councilor Amaamalhy Capsa, Councilor Nelson Legaspi, Councilor Romeo Aggabao, Jr., Councilor Honesto Bermudo, Jr., Councilor Beatriz Sayson, Councilor Joseph Sanchez, Councilor Henry Ragodon, Councilor Ferdinand Goce, ABC President Tomas Sto. Tomas and SK president Jasmin Ivy Mable.
Department heads include Leticia Agura, Sangguniang Bayan secretary; Amelia Gervas, municipal planning and development coordinator; Salome Bajador, municipal civil registrar; Augusto Agura, municipal budget officer; Vicente San Vicente, Jr., municipal accountant; Zenaida Morata, municipal assessor; Dr. Salvador Betito, Jr., municipal health officer; Sabas Chica, municipal social welfare and development officer; Engr. Daniel de la Torre, municipal engineer; Emelia Belarmino, municipal treasurer; and P/Insp. James S. Ronatay, PNP station commander.
