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Readings

in
Philippine
History
(GE 2)
Mia Louise Faye T. Bason
Bachelor of Science in Accountancy -1

The Chronicles of Santa Josefa


Santa Josefa is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. Its main
products are rice and corn. In the 2015 census, Santa Josefa had a population of 26,729. The
population density was 78 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Long before the Spanish regime, this spot was unknown to history and this place can’t even be
considered as a sitio for it is a great stretches of bush land. Few families of natives settled in this
place and they also have their own system of barangay government ruled by their Chieftain
Datu. Certainly, it was the land with abundant wild life and fertile soil. However, during the
conquistadors’ period, the invading Spanish-Filipino soldiers and priest headed by Father
Saturnino Urios humbled the local paladins of Santa Josefa. They were easily converted to
Christianity and grasped the teachings of Jesus Christ so religiously that later became
subservient of the power of the cross.

Then the early settlers from the Visayan Islands came in 1946 that pioneered in the
development of the place, which is now called Poblacion. The families were that of: Dafroso
Quijada, Juan Otacan, Aurelio Cagatin, Sr., Jose Lagonero, Sr., Enrique Lara, Sr, and Domingo
Rosales. One of the leaders who successfully organized Poblacion into a barangay was the late
Primo Quijada, who also owned vast hectares of land. He ruled until the coming of the
Americans. As the Americans came, they took supervision of the place and established primary
schools.

During the Commonwealth Government under President Manuel L. Quezon, there was a
complete supervision on Local Government and the late Primo Quijada became the first official
who administered this barangay.

The village progress in the course of years inhabited by people with mixed culture but one
objective, to curve the niche of destiny so that one day, it will become a municipality.
Santa Josefa got its name through a willful and wholehearted intention of a man who was then
one of the most prestigious person throughout Mindanao and Sulu during that time. It was
during the advent of the American regime in the country, under this form of government- there
was the so-called Commissioner of Mindanao and Sulu, Hon. Teofisto Guingona, Sr., who
sometime between the year 1944-1945 visited the place and then officially proclaimed the
name of the place as Josefa in honor of his wife, Josefa Guingona.

In the year 1950-1951, Bernardo Mulat Fuentes and his family from Cebu, organized the
inhabitants into a goal-oriented individuals with the guiding principle of “Oneness is for
Progress.” Fuentes was successful in molding the place into a barrio (barangay) and became the
first barrio teniente (barangay captain) and more immigrant settlers came mostly from the
Visayan Islands.
It is within the period that the first Elementary School was opened and the first Principal was
Mr. Magno Escrin, Sr.

It was in 1953 that Santa Josefa feel the services of Public Health for it was in this period that
Mr. Melquiades Salise, a Public Health Nurse was assigned in the area to answer the health
needs of the inhabitants. His first office was in front of his house as the first health clinic or
center.

In 1960 under the provision of the Local Autonomy Act as governed by Republic Act No. 1515,
Santa Josefa became a Municipal District of the Province of Agusan (Agusan was not yet divided
to two provinces) with an initial budget or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 15,000. The first
elected Municipal District Mayor was Rufino C. Otero, with other Municipal District Councilors:
Antonio Casiro, Pablo Otacan, Simeon Castor, Timoteo Barraca, Dafroso Quijada, Sr., and Pio
Fuentes. Francisco Bermudez became the first Barrio Lieutenant when this was created as a
Municipal District. The start of the logging operation was within this period and as part of the
operation, roads were also constructed.

By virtue of Executive Order 147 dated March 31, 1965, President Macapagal officially signed
the law creating the Municipality, classified as 7th class with a GDP of 17,000.

In 1967, Local Election was held, the elected Municipal Officials was Carpin O. Plaza, Sr. as the
Mayor, Simeon S. Castor as Municipal Vice Mayor; Municipal Councilors: Antonio Casiro, Sr.,
Moises Q. Gumban, Leocadio O. Gooc, Jose G. Lagonero, Sr., Cerial P. Plaza, Sr. and Daniel
Viajar, Sr. The Municipal Government was operating with a 35,000 GDP. In June 1970, the
Secretary of Finance has classified this municipality as 6th class.

The same year, the Community High School was established with Mr. Samuel S. Cornelio as the
Principal.

The Municipal Government in 1981 has a GDP of 857,337.82. Henceforth, the municipality
progressed and is now a 5th class municipality with a budget of 200,000 in 1983.
It was in 1974 that the grim effect of the Martial Law was succumbed that reach the
municipality, many became political prisoners. They were brutally handled and some even was
put to death.

August 7, 1982 at about 10:00 PM, Rodrigo Mordeno, a well-loved member of the community
and a devoted parish worker and coordinator of the Diocesan Relief and Rehabilitation Program
was gunned down by the military for his exposure to the human rights group.

The Provincial Government constructed within the same period the overflow timber-bridge
across the Agusan River. At this year, the residents of Sta. Josefa experienced easy accessibility
in riding land vehicles in traveling to other places, no longer the sluggish water transport.

August 22-25, 1990, Hacienda Besa was included in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP) and on May 22, 1991, the survey in the subdivision for distribution to farmers
under the Agrarian Reform was approved.

The Maria Cristina Hydro Electric Grid through the Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative
energized Poblacion in 1979. This was the first phase of the energization program of the
government that expands to the barangays. They too experienced the convenient lighting
facilities through electric power.

In 1985, the National Government through the Department of Public Works and Highways
constructed the present concrete secondary national highway from NRJ Cuevas to Poblacion
with the concrete bridge across the Agusan River during the administration of Ludivico Viajar. In
this project, the constituents availed the comfortable utility of a concrete road.

During the EDSA Revolution in 1986, a revolutionary government was established. There was a
complete revamp of the National and Local Officials and were replaced by the OIC’s appointed
by the DILG.

Geographically, the jurisdiction of this municipality is divided into two by the mighty Agusan
River; the Eastern and Western side that are composed of 11 barangays. In the Eastern side are
the Barangays Aurora, Pag-asa, Patrocinio, Sta. Isabel, and Tapaz; and also the flat marshy area
abutting the boundary of Santa Josefa and the municipalities of Bunawan and Trento. In the
Western side are the Barangays Angas, Awao, Concepcion, San Jose, Sayon, and Poblacion; and
also the mountain ranges of Tandawan and overview abutting the boundary of Santa Josefa and
Veruela. In the Southern portion are mountain ranges of Awao, Angas, and Patrocinio abutting
the boundary of Agusan del Sur and Compostela Valley Province.

It was in 1987 that the farmer’s production was very low since their farms are dependent to the
rain. Their expenses against income cannot meet on both ends. To overcome this situation,
there was a construction of Communal Irrigation Project (CIP) in three barangays: Awao, Sayon,
and Angas, which benefited rain, fed rice-farmers, and a good harvest. This CIP was
implemented last August 15, 1987.
Within the period of 1989-1990, the first Municipal Health Officer was assigned in Santa Josefa
in the person of Dr. Jubane. It is in this time that the populace experienced the services of a
Municipal Doctor. His office was the old Health Center situated about 100 meters from the
Agusan River.

Mr. Antonio R. Floriendo, Jr., a businessman, opened a Banana Plantation known as TADECO
(Tagum Agricultural Development Company). TADECO was established in the year 1992, which
occupied 1,035 hectares and 974 square meters total land area in the vast agricultural land of
the three barangays: Aurora, Tapaz, and Sta. Isabel. During this time, Santa Josefa became
profitable because many people are employed in TADECO. In that situation, the Municipality of
Santa Josefa gain additional income, but it doesn’t last that long because TADECO was closed in
the year 1996 for an undefined reason. Simultaneously, the airstrip was constructed by the
company for use of their planes in the aerial spray of the plantation needs, which occupied
some part of land owned by Violeta Taguba, Avelino Piencenaves, Ludivico Viajar, Emmanuel
Quijada, and Rhodoro Quijada. The airstrip was later abandoned after the closure of the
company, in which the administration of Hon. Isoceles Otero is proposing to reconstruct
through the financial assistance of the Department of Transportation and Communication.

September 7, 1997, the Santa Josefa Water Development System open to public under the
management of the Municipal Budget Officer, Jesus Granada. It is a Level III Water Supply and
an economic enterprise of the municipality.

In the year 1998, there was rat infestation due to the massive destruction of the forest areas,
which is their natural habitat where they get their food and shelter. Their predators where also
hunted and killed for food by the inhabitants which created an environmental imbalance. This
pest infestation damaged big hectares of farm crops especially rice crops.

Total Agricultural Production and Development (TAP-D) is given top priority in the
administration of Hon. Isoceles Otero and by the year 2000, it will be one of the major
economic enterprises of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Santa Josefa. The Wonder
Feathers Program and Backyard Raising of Wonder Chicken was introduced last March 11,
1999; Swine 2001 Fattening Component last April 21, 1999; and the Swine 2001 Sow Level that
was launched last July 5, 2000. These projects are financial and marketing assistance to the
farmers and non-farmers as their backyard livestock raising. There is also a financial and
marketing assistance to both rice and corn production to farmers. A joint project of the LGU of
Santa Josefa, under the Municipal Agriculture Office, Josefa D. Santos—Municipal Agriculturist
as the Head of Office—Regional Awardee as the Most Outstanding Municipal Agriculturist in
the Region, and Department of Agiculture Region 13- CARAGA.

In Education, the Department of Education Cultural and Sports implemented the Third
Elementary Education Project (TEEP) where Santa Josefa is a major beneficiary for having
shared the biggest counterpart of 1 Million. The municipality is number 1 in the whole
Philippines. TEEP is a social infrastructure project that constructed twenty-five (25) new school
building within the municipality. The said buildings were constructed at different barangays.
This TEEP Program was prepared with the total cost of 10 Million with 1 Million LGU
counterpart, Provincial Government counterpart of 1.5 Million, and 7.5 Million from the World
Bank. The project started on February, 2000.

For the environmental development of the Municipality of Santa Josefa, the Community-Based
Resource Management Project (CBRMP) was availed and funded by World Bank through the
Department of Finance. The said project was implemented in the country, with the aim to
reduce rural poverty and environmental degradation by enhancing the capacity of low-income
rural Local Government Units and communities to plan, implement, and sustain priority natural
resource management projects; strengthening government system and to transfer finance (as
financial intermediaries) and environmental policies; and providing appropriate and adequate
resource to LGUs to finance natural resources management. Livelihood and infrastructure
development are the components of this project as support services to the targeted
beneficiaries and because the municipality belongs to 5th class, it availed 10% equity, 20% loan,
and 70% grant in the total project cost. This CBRMP was approved and implemented in the
municipality last December 7, 1999 under Secretary Lily Gruba—MDF-PGB Chairman through
the breathtaking presentation of Hon. Isoceles Otero, Municipal Mayor, about the Sub-Project
Proposal with the assistance of MPDC—Leonardito Plaza and Imelda Jardin.

On the other side, in spite of the influx of migrants and modern technologies, the natives of the
place still retain their own culture such as singing the song called Tud-on that was taught by the
old natives to the young generation. The tune and lyric of this song was like a lullaby.

The month of festivity in the Municipality of Santa Josefa is in every 30 th-31st day of May where
people celebrate in honor of their Patron Saint, St. Joseph the Husband of Mary.

Every March 31, the Taphagan Festival marks the day of its creation as a regular municipality.
Taphag is a Manobo (the ethnic aborigines of the Agusanons) language for offering to the high
spirits. White native chicken or pig with fresh native chicken eggs and drinks are offered as a
thanksgiving for a good harvest and asking guidance for a fruitful and bountiful year. This is
celebrated by the 11 barangays through different activities.

Source: Documents from Santa Josefa Municipal


Office, Province of Agusan del Sur

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