Walking a Tightrope: Biography of Honorable Mayor Catalino Gabot Hermosilla Sr.

By Mario Yrastorza Hermosilla MBA-TM

This book contains the biography of Mayor Catalino Gabot Hermosilla, Sr., a Filipino politician, who was the mayor of Ormoc, Leyte, Philippines during World War II from 1941 to 1943 during the occupation of Ormoc by the Imperial Japanese military. His term of office was characterized by danger in the hands of the occupying military force where he demonstrated uncommon valor with the skillful and diplomatic handling of the affairs of the government under the yoke of the oppressors while cuddling with his Filipino brother-in-arms who were fighting the Japanese as guerilla warriors in the town and around the hills of Ormoc while at the same time, “played ball with the enemy” in order to save lives and protect the population under the detriment of his own safety…a fete that he later called “walking on a tight rope.” It also contain numerous historical accounts and records of Ormoc that is a “must read” to every fellow Ormocanon.
Mario Yrastorza Hermosilla, MBA-TM
Author

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665536080

Mario Yrastorza Hermosilla MBA-TM

Mario Angelo Yrastorza Hermosilla, MBA-TM, is the grandson of Honorable Mayor Catalino Gabot Hermosilla and Maxima Teberia Militante. He was born in Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines, on May 31, 1953, where he was mainly raised and educated. Mario is the fourth child of Romeo Militante Hermosilla and Cecilia Torres Yrastorza. He attended school at St. Peter’s College (formerly St. Peter’s Academy) from kindergarten through high school graduation in 1969. Mario subsequently pursued technical training at the former Cebu School of Arts and Trades—now known as the Cebu Technological University and formerly known as Cebu State College of Science and Technology—from which he graduated in 1971 with an associate’s degree in automotive mechanics. He eventually joined his father’s business and became a management apprentice under his father’s tutelage. While in training, he continued his college studies close to home at St. Peter’s College, majoring in business management (commerce). While in college, he indulged himself with multiple extracurricular activities. He was elected president of the Commerce student council, served as associate editor of the school organ (The Key), was a member of the dance troupe and the school choir, and was the captain in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). He was also a delegate of multiple seminars for the youth. In 1971, while seeking career opportunities, Mario responded to military recruitment ads and enlisted in the US Navy at the former Subic Bay Naval Station in Olongapo, Zambales, Philippines. He took the oath in July 1973 and underwent recruit training at the Naval Recruit Training Center (boot camp) in San Diego, California. He later underwent technical training for the Aviation Structural Mechanical-Hydraulic “A” school at the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) at the Memphis Naval Air Station (NAS) in Millington, Tennessee. He also volunteered and became qualified as a naval aircrewman and was assigned to the Fleet Logistics Support Squadron-30 based in the former naval air station in Alameda, California, where he performed duties as a flight attendant and cargo loadmaster of the C-9B Skytrain medium-range, fixed-wing cargo transport aircraft, logging more than one thousand flight hours of operational and training flights. Subsequent duty stations included NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii; NAS North Island, San Diego, California; Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, Ayase Shi, Kanagawa Ken, Japan (about forty-five miles southwest of Tokyo); and NAS North Island, San Diego, where he finally retired in 1997. During his active naval service, he served in the following operational navy aircraft squadrons: VR-30, VC-1, HS-2, HC-3, HS-6, HS-12, VAW-115, and HS-10. Additionally, he made several major deployments onboard the aircraft carriers CV-61 (USS Ranger, 1982), CV-63 (USS Kitty Hawk, 1984), CVN-65 (USS Enterprise, 1986 and 1989) and CV-62 (USS Independence, several cruises from 1993 to 1996). Moreover, he was a qualified CNET Navy Instructor (NEC 9502) and Master Training Specialist (MTS) (NEC 9506), with Naval Air Maintenance Training Detachments (NAMTRADET) in North Island as a navy instructor teaching SH-3 helicopter airframes and hydraulics systems maintenance and as a Pilot Familiarization Course Instructor. After serving honorably for twenty-four years, Mario retired from US naval service with the rank of Chief Petty Officer (E-7) in 1997, and he then pursued a career as a logistics engineer, logistics analyst, technical writer, and training curriculum developer for several defense-contracting companies in southern California, in support of military weapons programs for SPAWAR, US Navy, US Army, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, and Military Sealift Command for the T-AKE, MLP, ESB, and T-AO New Ship Construction Programs. Mario holds a bachelor of science degree in aviation management from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois (1991), and a master in business administration-technology management (MBA-TM) degree from the University of Phoenix, San Diego, California campus (2005). He is married to Virginia Pajaron Conopio of Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines, and they currently reside in San Diego, California. They have two wonderful children: Marvin Conopio Hermosilla and Melissa Conopio Hermosilla. They are also the proud grandparents of Makaeil “Mackie Boy” Hermosilla, Mason Emmanuel, and Miles Evan, children of his son Marvin and gorgeous wife, Maria Edlyn Añonuevo Lalas of Pagsanjan, Laguna, Philippines. Besides writing academic papers, Mario also served as an article contributor and associate editor of the St. Patrick’s College school organ called The Key in 1972–1973. He has also written articles for US Navy magazines. The author spends his spare time with his community of expatriates from Ormoc with a registered nonprofit organization called Ormocanon Circle, USA (OCUSA), of which he is the current president and has served as president for two previous terms (2009–2011 and 2011–2013). The organization made significant contributions toward disaster relief in Ormoc, particularly during calamities like the Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) disaster and the Ormoc earthquake disaster of 2017. Other recipients of OCUSA’s much-needed financial assistance are the children of Operation Taghoy of Uplift Internationale (UI), which provides free operations to correct cleft lip in the Philippines. Also, the Hayag Foundation provides shelter to abandoned children in Ormoc. OCUSA also provides financial donations in support of Ormocanon International Inc. projects such as the renovation of the Ormoc District Hospital and the Ormoc Catholic Parish Church children’s playground. The author is also a member of the Free and Accepted Freemasons of California and the Scottish Rite Freemasonry as a 32nd Degree Freemason, San Diego Valley, Orient of California. Asked what his most rewarding experience was in his life, he simply shared the following quotation from John F. Kennedy, thirty-fifth-president of the United States: "I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction "I served in the United States Navy"."

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© 2021 Mario Yrastorza Hermosilla, MBA-TM. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 11/23/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-3609-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-3610-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-3608-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021917386

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

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Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 The Setting

Chapter 2 Ormoc in a Nutshell

Chapter 3 Ormoc in the Spanish Era

Chapter 4 American Era

Chapter 5 Ormoc under Japanese Occupation

Chapter 6 Battle of the Blockhouse

Chapter 7 Postwar Rebuilding and Redemption

Chapter 8 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiments in Ormoc

Chapter 9 Counter Intelligence Corps

Chapter 10 The Survivors—Moving On

Chapter 11 In the Bloodline: The Next Generation

Photo Credits

About the Author

FIGURES

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Figure 1: Puente de la Reina, or Queen’s Bridge

Figure 2: Inscription on the Puente de la Reina in Spanish

Figure 3: Ruins of Congressman Domi Tan’s mansion (front view)

Figure 4: Ruins of Congressman Domi Tan’s mansion (rear view)

Figure 5: Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church of Ormoc City

Figure 6: The Agua Dulce artesian well

Figure 7: Ana Torres Yrastorza

Figure 8: Emilia Yrastorza y Torres and Paulino Aboitiz on their wedding day

Figure 9: The Aboitiz family: Paulino Aboitiz and Emilia Yrastorza y Torres surrounded by their children

Figure 10: MV Picket

Figure 11: Pastor Hermosilla (circa 1946)

Figure 12: Maxima Teberia Militante Hermosilla (circa 1918)

Figure 13: Irene Pulong Dumaguit Larrazabal (circa 1934)

Figure 14: Ormoc Institute building (circa 1934)

Figure 15: Picture of Catalino Hermosilla Sr. taken when he was the director of the Ormoc Institute, as printed in the OI yearbook of 1934. This picture also is now posted in the new Ormoc City Hall lobby.

Figure 16: Catalino Hermosilla with his OI staff and seventh-grade students

Figure 17: Francisco Kinko Hermosilla, family picture of Margarita Hermosilla Yap and her children, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.

Figure 18: Locations of PCAU jurisdictions in Leyte, February 1945; Army map

Figure 19: Capt. Theodore Ted L. Sendak, PCAU-15

Figure 20: Typical personnel complement for each of the PCAUs

Figure 21: Catalino and Capt. Ted Sendak (PCAU-15 Officer in Charge) in front of the PCAU-15 office located inside the OSCO compound

Figure 22: Catalino Hermosilla with Lt. Col. Pete Scott

Figure 23: Book with Catalino’s signature

Figure 24: Irene Hermosilla’s letter to Capt. Ted Sendak (dated May 21, 1946)

Figure 25: Sgt. Fred Doria with new bride, my aunt, Remedios Hermosilla Yap (circa 1945)

Figure 26: Final funeral farewell group picture for Hon. Mayor Hermosilla Gabot Hermosilla.

Figure 27: Hermosilla Drive signage

Figure 28: The Reporter newspaper, March 25, 1972 issue, front page

Figure 29: Motor cab with Thames Trader– style front

Figure 30: Motor cab with Toyota car-style front

Figure 31: Romeo’s Shop in its heyday (circa 1963)

Figure 32: The mechanics of Romeo’s Shop in 1966

Figure 33: Romeo’s Shop production area (circa 1967)

Figure 34: Romeo (sitting on the driver’s seat of the tractor) and the men and women of Romeo’s Shop (circa 1963)

Figure 35: Romeo Hermosilla giving a speech at the Meeting de Avance of the 1964 election campaign under the Liberal Party banner of incumbent mayor Esteban Conejos

Figure 36: Vicrom Hardware, Romeo’s hardware store located on Aviles St., Ormoc City (circa 1966)

Figure 37: Honda Motors product line of motorcycles, mopeds, farm hand tractors, and outboard engines on display at the Romeo’s Shop entrance (circa 1967)

Figure 38: The members and spouses of the Winning Team during their eighth anniversary celebration (circa 1961)

Figure 39: Romeo and his Black Diamonds Motorcycle Club of Ormoc getting ready to escort the parade in honor of Queen Evelyn Trinchera I, Miss St. Peter’s College of 1966, and her royal court

Figure 40: Newly inducted officers of the Ormoc Press and Radio Association posing after their Induction of Officers Oath Taking (circa 1965)

Figure 41: Second son Lenlen as a teenager

Figure 42: Catalino Jr., Nonoy (in striped shirt), with his mother Irene, brother Lenlen, and sister-in-law Hera (circa 1964)

Figure 43: The author (left) and Col. Galo Maglasang (circa 2007)

Figure 44: Lenlen and Hera Hermosilla at the BOBA Annual Reunion in 2003

Figure 45: Children of Mayor Catalino Gabot Hermosilla

Figure 46: Mayor Richard Gomez holding the picture of Mayor Catalino Gabot Hermosilla in state prior to his interment

TABLES

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TABLE 1. Old and New Street Names

TABLE 2. List of Barangays under Ormoc City Jurisdiction (as of August 2017)

TABLE 3. 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment Unit Movement into Ormoc and Vicinities

PREFACE

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In the field of human endeavor and as manifested several times in human history, we encounter or learn about individuals who have performed above and beyond their call of duty and necessary efforts to make life better and easier for their fellow humans. An example of such an individual is Honorable Catalino Cata Gabot Hermosilla Sr., mayor of Ormoc, Leyte, Philippines from 1941 to 1943.

Catalino Hermosilla came from very humble beginnings as an educator and had risen through the ranks of dedicated men and women with the task of molding the young minds of his students in his service as a municipal teacher, school principal, and public servant when he was elected to public office, first as councilor, then vice mayor, and later as mayor of Ormoc City. He served his country with such distinction that he left behind a legacy that would be treasured not only by his family but by his fellow Filipino citizens as well.

My primary intention in writing his biography is to set the record straight regarding the life, times, and true character of Mayor Catalino Gabot Hermosilla. This is in an effort to clarify, enlighten, and educate to alleviate some of the negative, unwarranted, ignorant, and subjective accounts of the alleged corroboration of Mayor Hermosilla with the Japanese, which were circulated in academic arenas by people who, for one reason or another, were unable to tell the story correctly and instead used allegations, hearsay, and innuendo, making it look like reliable information. It is also intended to provide a differing view of some so-called historical analyses by university students and professors, amateur Ormoc wannabe history writers, and conspiracy theorists who have conducted some research in the case of Mayor Hermosilla and used the allegation of treason by his political rivals and detractors bent on revenge to debunk, impugn, defame, and besmirch the character of this great Filipino leader. It is unfortunate that those negative analyses have found their way into the public records and academic publications in the Philippines, totally unrebutted and unchallenged—until now.

This book also addresses the several influences that molded Mayor Hermosilla’s character, which included his immediate family, his educational background, religious beliefs, and personal experiences that shaped him into the man and politician that he became years later.

Mayor Hermosilla’s role as the mayor of Ormoc City during those war years was aptly described by Mayor Hermosilla as shared by one of his sons, Jose Lenlen, as walking a tightrope: keeping the peace by preventing the conquerors from molesting or harming the civilian populace and convincing the local guerilla movement to avoid attacking Ormoc, thus preventing loss of lives and collateral damage while at the same time assisting the local guerilla movement, who were actively operating in the area. Thus, I thought Walking a Tightrope would be the appropriate title for this book.

Although isolated incidents of run-ins between civilians and the Japanese military did occur, Mayor Hermosilla’s years in power were well manifested by peace and order, especially within the city proper. Even today, people who have been positively affected by his benevolence and good deeds have personally testified to us, his descendants, the countless times that Mayor Hermosilla personally saved lives to the detriment of his own personal safety in the hands of the cruel foreign oppressors.

Besides being Mayor Catalino Hermosilla’s biography, this book also discusses other topics of interest, including the historical background of the setting of his personal history and other information that is relevant within the context of the topic. Additionally, it also provides information on the lifestyle, culture, politics, and religious activities before, during, and after Mayor Hermosilla’s life on this earth. It is intended to enlighten as well as to paint a vivid picture of what the environment was like during his short life that molded his character and made him become one of the beloved Ormocanon and a local hero to the Filipino people in general and to the people of Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines in particular.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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This book is the product of a labor of love. It was written as a result of my desire, together with that of several individuals, to tell the real story of the life and times of Honorable Mayor Catalino Gabot Hermosilla Sr., beloved mayor of Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines. His sacrifices, accomplishments, and public service in the tumultuous years during and after World War II, from 1941 to 1946, made him a hero in the hearts and minds of the Ormocanon people. It is intended to educate, familiarize, set the records straight, and document the achievements of this wonderful human being who, during his short but productive life, made a significant contribution to the Filipino people in general and to his fellow Ormocanons in particular.

Considerable effort was expended in the research and compilation of information from several sources, such as personal testimonies of people who personally knew him, personal interviews, and intellectual contributions by several individuals. I give them all my profound gratitude. Additional information was extracted from several written materials, testimonies, and published articles and books by academic scholars who have corroborated and contributed additional information on Mayor Hermosilla, which unfortunately, has not been shared before.

First, I thank my father, Romeo Romy Militante Hermosilla, the first son of Mayor Hermosilla, who inspired, conveyed, and passed on to me much of the biographical info and wonderful stories of Mayor Hermosilla’s life and times by word of mouth while I was growing up in the then sleepy little city of Ormoc, Leyte. Seeing the need to share the information about his father, Romy started to write his father’s biography early in the 1970s. Unfortunately, the draft manuscript and computer file of his work in progress were lost when Tropical Typhoon Thelma (aka Uring) struck Ormoc City on November 5, 1991, and spawned a devastating flash flood that resulted in the deaths of more than 4,900 people in the city of Ormoc alone. While in the process of reconstructing his progressive work, Romy unfortunately passed away on September 5, 2001, after suffering a massive heart attack and before his worthwhile project was completed. But not all was lost. I fortunately recalled the stories of Mayor Hermosilla that he had shared with me while I was growing up. Since then, I have conducted my own research and consolidated all the other information with that provided by other members of the family and other people who knew him at the time.

Second, special mention goes to my handsome uncle and idol, Jose Lenlen Larrazabal Hermosilla, my father’s beloved half-brother, who provided a lot of valuable information and critical pieces of the puzzle through his published book entitled Once Upon a Time, a Nobody Dared to Write a Book about His Life and Some More. Additional information that he related to me through our interviews, audiotaped accounts recalling the life and times of Mayor Hermosilla, and typical casual conversations with him through the years shed more light on leads worth digging into that resulted in valuable data.

The same goes for my dear uncle, Dr. Jaime Jimmy Alonzo Yrastorza, my mother’s first cousin whose autobiography, From Fire to Freedom, gave me another glimpse into the difficult times of family members in our immediate circle, the people of Ormoc, and what they had to endure during those early days of the Japanese occupation of Ormoc. Additionally, he shared with me valuable tips for getting my work published.

Special thanks also go to Mrs. Peggy Fatch Sendak, a retired teacher from Crown Point, Indiana, USA, and her husband, Tim Sendak, son of Capt. Theodore Ted Sendak. On January 23, 2012, while conducting research online for materials for this book, I came across a website called PsyWarrior (http://www.psywarrior. com/WWII Philippines Editor.html), which is owned and managed by Sgt. Maj. Herbert A. Friedman (Retired). Posted on it are materials and pictures that belonged to Captain Sendak related to his military duties at Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU) and psychological warfare specialist for the U.S. Army. I was immediately awestruck upon seeing the picture of my late grandfather, Mayor Hermosilla, posing with then Captain Sendak during their time in PCAU-15 in Ormoc. I immediately contacted Sergeant Major Friedman via e-mail to inquire about the origin of the pictures and materials on Captain Sendak. He responded and informed me that they belonged to a civilian who had given them to him, thinking that it would be helpful to be shared online. He subsequently forwarded my email to Mrs. Peggy Fatch Sendak. After receiving an e-mail response from Peggy, we found out that we shared a passion for genealogy. Apparently, Peggy is the Sendak family genealogist. She has custody of the late Captain Sendak’s memorabilia and had shared them with Sgt. Maj. Herbert A. Friedman for his website. We became instant friends and exchanged information, and one thing led to another. Peggy was very generous and provided me with additional unbelievably valuable artifacts that became vital sources for this book.

• One of them was another picture of my grandfather posing with Lt. Col. Pete Scott that was apparently taken around the same time that his picture with Captain Sendak was taken.¹

• Another item of tremendous value to me was a handwritten letter dated May 21, 1946, that was sent to Captain Sendak by Irene, Mayor Hermosilla’s wife, informing him of the passing of Mayor Hermosilla, his dear friend. The letter attested to the very close personal, friendly, and professional relationship that Mayor Hermosilla and Captain Sendak had during the early days of the liberation of Ormoc, when they worked together at PCAU-15 in helping the local people recover from the devastation of the war.

• She also gave me a copy of Captain Sendak’s autobiographical book entitled Pilgrimage Through the Briar Patch: Fifty Years of Indiana Politics, which gave me detailed information about his experience as the officer-in-charge of the PCAU detachment in Ormoc after the liberation of Ormoc and his interactions with Mayor Hermosilla. It also gave me a glimpse into the level of friendship and cooperation that Mayor Hermosilla had with Captain Sendak in their initial efforts to rebuild the lives of the countless refugees of the war right after the liberation of Ormoc. Their joint effort enabled the relief work to be conducted as smoothly as possible given the level of hardships that they tackled together, resulting in the betterment of the lives of those who needed it the most.

• With Peggy’s help, Sgt. Maj. Herbert A. Friedman provided me a compact disc full of scanned black and white pictures of Captain Sendak’s, taken during the war, including some in Ormoc. Sgt. Maj. Herbert A. Friedman retired from military service in 1995 after twenty-six years of honorable service. A highly accomplished and decorated soldier, among his military specialties was psychological operations.

• Peggy was also extremely helpful in providing names and contact information of people who had provided additional pictures and information about Captain Sendak’s time in Ormoc. My profound gratitude goes to Tim and Peggy Sendak of Crown Point, Indiana, to whom I owe tremendously for sharing with me the valuable artifacts.

Most helpful in filling in the additional information during those tumultuous times of World War II in the Japanese occupation of Ormoc was the work of Dr. Satohiro Ara, PhD, a Japanese national whose research work during his pursuit of a doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree from the Ateneo of Manila, provided me critical leads, information, research materials, and manuscripts documenting the investigation of the alleged corroboration and treason that culminated in the case of the People of the Philippines v. Catalino Hermosilla. The manuscript showed the level of investigative effort exerted by the investigators conducting the interviews to determine Mayor Hermosilla’s involvement with the Japanese military and civilian authority.

Also, most helpful in recalling facts of historical significance was Remedios Remy Pajaron Conopio, my wonderful and beautiful mother-in-law, who in spite of her advanced age of ninety-two years old still had a clear and vivid memory and provided valuable information about people and events related to several topics mentioned in this book. Unfortunately, she passed away in March 2020. I am deeply indebted to her and to the wealth of information she provided for this book.

Also, noteworthy to mention is the contribution of Editha Malinao Paraiso, who provided me a copy of the manuscript written by her father, former guerilla 1st Sergeant Teofilo Malinao, which provided additional proof of the positive relationship that Mayor Catalino Hermosilla had with the guerillas.

Not to be understated, but the Internet also provided a copious amount of information related to the topics in this book. It indeed became a valuable resource of historical materials, movie clips, and pictures relevant to the development of this book.

Moreover, the most credit goes to my family: beautiful wife, Virginia Pajaron Conopio, who provided me the inspiration, love, moral support, and encouragement to persevere in this tedious but worthy project. Likewise, to my son, Marvin Conopio Hermosilla, together with his gorgeous and beloved wife, Maria Edlyn Madel Anonuevo Lalas, who have provided me with the motivation to share with my grandchildren, Makaeil Mackie Boy Hermosilla, Mason Emmanuel, and Miles Evan, family history and the outstanding achievements of their ancestor, Mayor Catalino Hermosilla. Likewise, to my daughter, Melissa Conopio Hermosilla Bernales together with her handsome and beloved husband, Marc David Bernales who have inspired me to persevere in finishing this project.

Finally, this book is dedicated to Fr. Jerome Hermosilla, who was a bishop who was martyred in Vietnam. He was born in 1780 in the town of La Calzada in Old Castile, Spain. He entered the Dominican Order (also known as Order of Preachers) and was sent to Asia as a missionary. He went first to Manila, which was a Spanish colony at the time, where he was ordained in 1828, and then went on to the missions in Vietnam. Consecrated a bishop and succeeding St. Ignatius Delgado as vicar apostolic, Jerome was captured by Vietnamese authorities and was horribly tortured and then beheaded in 1861. He was eighty-one years old. He was beatified in 1906 and canonized by St. Pope John Paul II in 1988.² His dedication to his Catholic faith and his wonderful work in evangelizing the Vietnamese people, which resulted in his martyrdom, is a wonderful inspiration for all those who share his last name, Hermosilla.

It is my ardent hope that the story of the life and times of Catalino Hermosilla, which was developed with the contributions of key people in his life—who, pro or con, have provided a vivid picture of what he went through in his skillful mitigation of the problems he faced in the face of adversities, both in times of war and of peace—would serve as an example for the younger generation to emulate.

CHAPTER 1

THE SETTING

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Just like the story of any famous person, Mayor Hermosilla’s story would not be complete without mentioning the historical background of several elements that shaped his identity.

Philippines: The Country

The Philippines is an archipelago situated at latitude 13°00 north and longitude 122°00 east. It is composed of 7,108 islands at low tide and 7,100 islands at high tide. Currently known as the Republic of the Philippines, it comprises three major island groups: Luzon in the north, the Visayan Islands in the center, and Mindanao in the south. The country’s coastline encompasses over one thousand miles of land area, with Batanes Island in the north, Palawan in the east, and the Jolo islands in the south.

For at least two millennia before the arrival of the Spanish, the Philippines was ruled by the Indianized kingdoms of the Hindu Majapahit and the Buddhist Srivijaya called rajas (kings or princes) and pramukhas (chiefs). Arab, Persian, Indonesian, and Malayan traders had long-established trade with the Philippine natives. Other ethnic groups, such as the Japanese and Han Chinese, had already established footholds on the islands by way of trading, and some of the early foreign settlers intermarried with the natives and built communities.³

The Philippine Islands were discovered by explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 and claimed as a Spanish colony under the reign of King Charles I (Carlos I). The arrival of Magellan marked the beginning of the Spanish influence in the Philippines. As Magellan and his crew tried to consolidate their control of the islands, he was able to convert the king of Cebu, Sri Hamabar (also known as Raja Humabon and baptized as Don Carlos in honor of Carlos I); his wife, Hara Humamay (baptized as Queen Juana in honor of Carlos I’s mother); and his subjects to Christianity. As a token of the conversion, Magellan gave Queen Juana the Santo Niño, an image of the baby Jesus, which is the most adored relic by Cebuanos, if not by Filipinos, as a symbol of their alliance. Impressed with the firepower of the Spaniards, King Humabon and Magellan became allies. King Humabon was able to convince Magellan to show his might against his enemy, Datu Lapu-lapu, the leader of Mactan Island. Thus, on April 27, 1521, Magellan and his armored crew of forty-nine, supported by a handful of Cebuano native warriors, invaded Mactan Island against fifteen hundred Mactan natives as recorded by historian, Antonio Pigafetta. The Battle of Mactan did not end well for the Spaniards. Magellan was wounded in the right leg by a poisoned arrow. In an unusual act of bravery, Magellan ordered the crew to conduct a frontal attack. But most retreated back to the galleons while Magellan and a handful tried to cover their retreat. They were eventually overpowered and killed. The survivors of the expedition managed to return to Cebu to recuperate. However, several of the men were poisoned, including the leaders, Duarte Barbosa and Joao Serrao, during a feast hosted by Raja Humabon. Serrao blamed Magellan’s Malay slave, Enrique, who tried to save his skin from the Cebuano natives by accusing the Spaniards of trying to take over the rajahnate. The survivors escaped and returned to Seville, Spain.

This brief encounter was popularly known as the first resistance against foreign domination, and Datu Lapu-lapu became the first national hero of the Philippines. The encounter delayed the eventual colonization of the Philippines by forty-four years.⁴

It was not until 1542, during the reign of Spain’s King Philip II (Felipe II) (1556–1598), that the Philippines was colonized. During the height of the Spanish Golden Age, a Spanish sailor named Bernardo de la Torre, who sailed with Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, named it Las Islas Filipinas, or Philippine Islands.⁵ Though the name originally referred only to the islands of Leyte and Samar, the name came to refer to all the islands within the archipelago.

In 1762, the Philippines became a colony of the British Empire under the monarchy of King George IV when Spain lost to the British in the Battle of Manila during the Seven Years’ War. Manila was occupied by the British for eighteen months, from October 1762 to February 1763. It was returned to the Spanish monarchy under King Charles III (Carlos III) as a result of the Treaty of Paris (1763).⁶

The islands were later ceded to the United States in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War and the Treaty of Paris during the reign of King Alfonso VIII. The provisions of the treaty, besides ceding the former Spanish colonies of Guam, Puerto Rico, and Philippines, stipulated that the United States would pay Spain a total of $20 million. The Treaty of Paris came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the documents of ratification were exchanged.⁷

The total area of the Philippines is 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 square miles), with an actual land area of 298,170 kilometers (115,120 square miles). According to an April 6, 2016, estimate, the population is now 100,981,437, and the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) purchasing power parity (PPP) was approximately $793 billion. Its capital continues to be Manila. Its time difference is coordinated universal time (UTC)/Greenwich mean time (GMT) +8, and the official currency is the Philippine peso (PhP).⁸

Leyte: The Home Island

Leyte is the eighth-largest island in the Philippine archipelago. Measuring 180 kilometers (110 miles) from north to south and about 65 kilometers (40 miles) at its widest point, it nearly joins with the island of Samar in the north. The two islands are separated only by a body of shallow water called the San Juanico Strait, which is as narrow as 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) in some places. Also in the north is the island province of Biliran, which is connected to Leyte Island by a bridge across the narrow Biliran Strait. In the south, Leyte is separated from the large island of Mindanao by the Surigao Strait. To the east, Leyte is somewhat set back from the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean. Leyte, Samar, and the Dinagat Islands to the southeast form the Leyte Gulf. To the west is the Camotes Sea.

Leyte was known in ancient times as Tandaya and was renamed Leite during the Spanish era.⁹ It is mostly heavily forested and mountainous; a mountain range runs through the middle of the island. Through the years, extensive agriculture has developed at the Leyte Valley in the northeast. As of 2015 the population of Leyte had risen to 2,388,518 people, an increase of 68 percent since the 2010 census was taken. It is geographically situated between the Tropic of Cancer (23.4 degrees) and the equator at coordinates 10°50′ N 124°50′ E, with a total land area of 7,367.6 square kilometers (2,844.6 square miles).¹⁰

It was proposed on March 27, 1923, through Act No. 3117, to divide Leyte into Occidental Leyte and Oriental Leyte. However, the governor-general at the time, Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood (Ret.), did not support it, probably because of the marked tensions between him and key Filipino officials resulting from his vetoes of sixteen measures passed by the Philippine legislature. During the Spanish-American War, he served as second-in-command of the First US Volunteer Cavalry (also known as Rough Riders), led by Col. Theodore Roosevelt (future president of the United States).¹¹

Leyte is presently divided into three distinct provinces: Northern Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran. Tacloban City is the capital of Northern Leyte. Southern Leyte Province includes the island of Panaon to its south. Biliran Island, to the north of Leyte Island, was formerly a subprovince of Leyte and is now a separate province, Biliran Province.¹² On April 8, 1959, Republic Act No. 2141 was signed into law, effectively making Biliran a subprovince of Leyte. Biliran became an independent province on May 11, 1992, by virtue of Republic Act No. 7160.¹³

The main island of Leyte was one province, known as the Province of Leyte, when World War II ended in 1945. However, due to a change of sovereign powers, all the offices in Maasin except the fiscal office were abolished and reverted to Tacloban, the capital of Leyte. This was problematic because of the sheer distance and lack of transportation between Tacloban and Maasin, the difficulty in managing government affairs in Tacloban, and the language barrier between the Cebuano-speaking southwesterners and the Waray northeasterners. These issues made it impossible to manage the entire island from the main capital city, and it became necessary to separate the island into two provinces.

Congressman Nicanor Yñiguez (representative from Southern Leyte and then later the speaker of the regular Batasang Pambansa from 1984 to 1986) introduced into the House a division law similar to House Bill No. 1318, proposing a new province of Southern Leyte that would comprise