A.Paulita Roa
IN the December 1948 issue of “Ang Katarungan,” Cagayan’s then numero uno weekly and the oldest running paper since 1903, there is a long article in Bisayan about the visit of President Elpidio Quirino. It was written by a writer whose nom de plume was Ando Bolanghoy and it is peppered by sharp observations and witty asides that make such an interesting read.
In November 1948, President Quirino, a widower, together with his daughter, Vicky and his staff went on a 12-day inspection tour to several towns and cities in Visayas and Mindanao. They were on board the ship “Argus” and had two Philippine Navy partol boats as escorts. Before they proceeded to Cagayan, the president viewed from his ship, the Hibok Hibok volcano that recently erupted. At that time, Camiguin island was a sub-province of Misamis Oriental. Then Gov. Paciencio Ysalina who was busy distributing relief goods to the people who were affected by the volcanic eruption in the island, had to rush back to Cagayan to be on hand to meet the President.
As the ship Argus and two patrol boats were near the Macabalan, a flotilla composed of a hundred ships and sampans met and escorted them to the wharf. This was led by two big and colorful boats--one had Municipal Mayor Maximo Y. Suniel, Vice Mayor Pedro Pimentel, the councilors and local VIPs on board. The other was a bigger boat with a pagoda specially built in it. This was festooned with banners and flowers that also carried a huge welcome sign that can be read from afar. Lovely young ladies coming from prominent familes rode in this boat and were carrying flower garlands.
It must have been an impressive sight with all those boats in the bay, as the Kagay-anons welcomed the second Philippine President to visit Cagayan on a much grander scale than the earlier visit of President Manuel Roxas. Mayor Suniel with a mike in hand, greeted the President after which the ladies and the councilors started to sing that rousing song, “Mabuhay” accompanied by a band that was in the pagoda boat. Bolanghoy noted that the singing councilors were divided into different voices--Mc Vickers and Shappit were the tiples, Esling and Sambaan were the baritones, Sabal and Regalado as tenors and Roa was the bajo or basso. There was a near mishap at sea when former Rep. Isidro Vamenta and “Ang Katarungan” founder, Vicente Neri San Jose jumped from the Mayor’s boat to the pagoda boat for they wanted to sing with the ladies. This almost caused the second boat to capsize had it not been for Vice Mayor Pedro Pimentel who quickly did something to put the boat back on even keel.
After receiving honors upon their arrival at the wharf, President Quirino and his daughter,Vicky, rode the air-conditioned car of Mr. and Mrs. Ludena for the traditional motorcade around town. Bolanghoy saw Msgr. James T.G. Hayes who was in his full bishop’s regalia, standing at the corner of Lico-an with his staff and a group of priests. When the presidential car passed by, both Quirino and Hayes bowed to one another.
A sheepskin scroll was presented to the the president but no mention was made by Bolanghoy about its contents. For decades, it was customary for a very important guest to plant a tree on a choice spot in town and Vicky Quirino did just that--she planted a tree to commemorate their visit to Cagayan. I wonder where that tree is located and if it was not cut down.
I hope that it will not suffer the same fate as the Norfolk pine that was planted by Speaker Eugenio Perez in front of the City Executive House in 1950 shortly after Cagayan became a chartered city. Perez was one of those that helped pass the bill for the cityhood of Cagayan de Oro in Congress. He was in Malacanang to witness the historic signing by Quirino of R.A. 521 - creating the City of Cagayan de Oro on June 15, 1950. He came to the new city, a few days later upon the invitation of the City Mayor Maximo Suniel. The Speaker Perez tree, as it was then known, was cut down in the 1970s. It could have been a preserved as a living memorial to one of the most important events in our city’s history. (to be continued)
