Tangalan, Aklan: A Struggle for Independence

I did not write the following. It was a Facebook post by a friend which was allegedly written by Petra Araceli Hontiveros Acevedo-Tagle (pictured below), who was the first female mayor of Tangalan, Aklan. I am posting it as I found it, grammar and all:

FROM THE POST OF TITA BABY ANAMARIE TAGLE TEJADA. PETRA ARACELI HONTIVEROS ACEVEDO-TAGLE (former mayor of tangalan, aklan) The town of Tangalan was first established in the early part of the 16th century by the descendants of Bankaya in the place now known as barrio Afga, a seaside barrio facing the Sibuyan Sea. Due to constant raids and rampages brought about by moro pirates, the early settlers moved away from the place to another settlement inland to the place now known as sitio Nagub-an (a sitio of Tagas, Tangalan). Upon the establishment of the Spanish government in the country, Tangalan was organized to comprise the barrios of Dumatad, Jawili, Balasia (now Dapdap), Tondog, Pudiot, Tagas, Panayakan, Revira (now uninhabited), Vivo, and Tamokoe, with the seat of the municipal government in its prensent location, the Poblacion of Tangalan. How Tangalan got its name is a story that is said to have derived from two incidents that occured during the spanish regime. The first was when a Spanish sailboat, manned by Tagalogs, broke its rudder and was brought ashore for repair. The pilot of the boat was asked by the Spanish officer as to what was the cause of their going ashore and answered “natanggalan” meaning displaced ( referring to the detached rudder). Also on another occasion, a Spanish officer was passing by along the shore and found trees growing in abundance with distinctive follage in a ravine nearby, the officer inquired as to the name of the place incidentally pointing to the direction of the trees, was answered “tangal” (name of the trees in the local dialect). From these two incidents were coined the present name of Tangalan. With the end of Spanish rule in the country and the Americans took over, Mr. Antonio was appointed the town executive. After a few months during his administration, the towns of Tangalan and Makato, by order of the provincial authorities, were fused into one municipality and named the Municipality of TAFT, after the then American Governor General of the Philippines. The set of the fused municipal government was established in what is now called barrio Dapdap with the first municipal president a Tangalanon by the name of Alfonso Miraflores. It was during the term of Lamberto Tirol when the seat of the municipal government was transferred to what is now the Poblacion of Makato, for the reason that the seat is far from Makatonons. Therefore Tangalan become only an “Arrabal”. The leaders and people of Tangalan did not relish the set up of being fused with Makato and silently accepted this unhappy situation, but worked a way out of this predicament. It was the intense love freedom and self-government that fired the desire of their leaders and people to wage a struggle for separation. During the Japanese occupation, by Executive Order of the Governor for Panay and Romblon Governor Tomas Confesor, the town of Tangalan was again made an independent municipality with Eugenio Tuderios as its appointed Mayor. This however, did not hold through for when liberation came, Tangalan was returned to its state and fused with the town of Makato. This brought out an inspiration to the Tangalanons to struggle for its seperation and in the general election of 1947, the Tangalanons got united and elected a Tangalanon Mayor and Vice-Mayor so that when the consent was sought by congress from mother municipality for its separation, it was easy for these two people to give. The seperation of Tangalan and Makato has passed many hard struggles. The first legal action filed in the Senate by the then Senator Jose M. Hontiveros, a Tangalanon who was elevated to this position with the help of his townmates, but due to the political intrigues by the politics of Capiz, the first attempt fizzled in the Senate. The Tangalanons realizing that unity alone can achieve their cherished dreams, its local leaders and people spearheaded by the late Honorable Pedro Fuentes Sr. and the late Judge Jose B. Tirol acted together and found in the late congressman Jose M. Reyes a sympathetic heart. Republic Act. №285, sponsored by Congressman Reyes was passed and signed into law and on July 31, 1948, the banner of independence was hoisted in the municipality of Tangalan. After its seperation, Tangalan slowly but firmly moved forward under the stewardship of several mayors. The first being appointed was Ex-Mayor Deogracias B. Molo, who held his position from 1948–1951. Then the first elected Mayor Atty. Isagani T. Fuentes, from 1952–1955; followed by the second elected Mayor Augusto T. Goboy who held this position for two consecutive terms, from 1956–1963; then followed by the FIRST LADY MAYOR MRS. ARACELI A. TAGLE, who held this position also for two consecutive terms, from 1964–1971; then followed by Mayor Edito T. Goboy, who was inducted on January 1, 1972.