152. THE LEADERS OF CAUAYAN

 

THE LEADERS OF CAUAYAN

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano, LPT

30 March 2022


Mayor Bernard Faustino La Madrid Dy of Cauayan City delivered his State of the City Address (SOCA) at the Isabela Convention Center at Barangay San Fermin. Mayor Dy’s last address to the people of Cauayan was well attended by all sectors of society including the leaders of the Province of Isabela, namely: Governor Rodolfo “Rodito” T. Albano III, Vice Governor Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III, Congressman Faustino “Inno” A. Dy IV, LPGMA Partlylist Congressman Allan U. Ty, Former Governor Faustino S. Dy, Jr. and former Cauayan City Mayor Ceasar G. Dy. The well-applauded report to the public made me cast my mind back during the period when I was researching the historical development of Cauayan City as commissioned by Mayor Bernard Dy in 2014. Forty-seven Cauayeños, based on available records, served the first Smart City in the country and to commemorate the 21st cityhood anniversary, allow me to enumerate the list of Cauayan leaders for the young generation to know.

On September 8, 1739, Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Cauayan was founded civilly. Unfortunately, no list or records of gobernadorcillos are available except for the following names: Don Jorge Layug (ca.1848), Don Sebastian Canciller (ca.1860s; served for two terms), Don Fructuso Gannaban (ca.1866), Don Manuel Dalauidao (July 27, 1887-1889), Don Eustaquio Canciller (June 23, 1890-1893) and Don Marcelo Raymundo (May 19, 1893-October 4, 1895).


The following served as municipal capitan of Cauayan from 1895-1901: Don Marcelo Raymundo (1893-1895), Don Juan Gannaban, Don Martillano Passilan, Don Marcelo Simeon, Don Ricardo Telan, Don Francisco Bucag, Don Francisco Ambatali and Don Santiago Respicio (who later became the first municipal president of Reina Mercedes town, 1913-1917). During the Philippine-American War (1899-1901), Don Domingo Damatan served as town head (1898-1900).


On August 24, 1901, civil government was established in Isabela (with the passage of Act No. 210 which extended the provisions of “The Provincial Government Act”) and in Cauayan with Don Eustacio Canciller as municipal president (1900-1902). Others who served as municipal president were: Don Pascual Dalupang (1902-1904), Don Leon Banigan (1904-1907), Don Vicente Canan (ca.1908), Don Bernardo Cadiz Dacuycuy (1907-1910) and Don Mariano Bucag (1910-1913).


Official city library portraits; however, shows that Don Bruno Dalauidao served as Cauayan municipal president from 1900-1903. There are no available official records from 1914 to 1925. Furthermore, Philippine Assembly documents revealed the name Don Vicente Canan as president of Cauayan circa 1908 while the Philippine Commission revealed the name Don Florentino Luna as president of Cauayan circa 1908. Moreover, in the same official city library portraits, Don Bernardo Dacuycuy served from 1915-1917; Don Mariano Bucag served from 1918-1920; and Don Prospero Cortez served from 1921-1923.


Others who served as town head were: Don Raymundo Zipagan (1926-1929), Don Simplicio Albano (1929-1932), Don Prospero Cortez (1932-1935), and Don Felipe Bucag (1935-1938). However, official city library portraits revealed that Don Calixto Damatan also served from 1936-1937.


Under the Commonwealth government, the official title for the town head was changed from municipal president to municipal mayor. Honored to serve the Municipality of Cauayan as mayors were: Hon. Guillermo Blas (1938), and Hon. Zoilo Cuntapay (1938-1941). On November 11, 1941, Federico Padron Acio was elected mayor. Acio; however, was not able to serve his term since the Japanese Imperial Army occupied the Valley including Isabela after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.


Appointed municipal mayors of Cauayan during the Japanese Occupation were: Hon. Jose Mendoza Canciller, Hon. Basilio Pacaba (1943-1944) and Hon. Lucas Banigan (1944-1945). However, official city library portraits showed Hon. Cecilio Pacaba as municipal mayor from 1942-1944.


Mayor Federico P. Acio was re-instated as town head of Cauayan after the surrender of Japan. However, other records revealed that Hons. Leon Babaran and Teodoro Laggui served as appointed mayor in 1947.


The first local election after World War II was held on November 11, 1947. Hon. Jose Acosta Africano was elected municipal mayor of post war Cauayan. On November 13, 1951, Mayor Africano was elected to his second term.


In the elections of November 8, 1955, Hon. Tranquilino Dalupang was elected municipal mayor of Cauayan. In the local elections of November 10, 1959, Mayor Dalupang won a second mandate from the people of Cauayan.


In the November 12, 1963 local polls, appointed Councilor Faustino Ng Dy emerged as the new mayor of Cauayan. In the elections of November 14, 1967, Mayor Dy won a second term. Mayor Faustino Dy resigned to file his certificate of candidacy for governor in the local elections of 1971. By virtue of the law of succession, Vice Mayor Carlos Uy assumed the mayorship of Cauayan on September 16 of the same year.


The November 8, 1971 local elections catapulted Hon. Carlos Accad Uy as municipal mayor of Cauayan. The term of Mayor Carlos Uy and the rest of the officialdom of Cauayan were extended after December 31, 1975.


The nation's first elections for provincial and municipal officials since the declaration of martial law were held on January 30, 1980 with Mayor Carlos Uy re-elected as town head of Cauayan. On March 13, 1983, Vice Mayor Benjamin Dy assumed the mayorship of Cauayan after Mayor Carlos Uy was appointed Assistant Provincial Health Officer in Ilagan.


The aftermath of the People Power Revolution of 1986 replaced the municipal officials of Cauayan. Hon. Diosdado Bueno Ramirez assumed as OIC-mayor. The Department of Local Government (DLG) appointed a new set of officers-in-charge from March 1 to November 30, 1987. Hon. Paulino Santos Sawit was appointed OIC-mayor. However, official city records reveal that there were two mayors in Cauayan from September 1, 1986 to February 26, 1987. MLG Minister Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. revoked the appointment of OIC-Mayor Diosdado Ramirez on September 1, 1986 and on the 20th of the same month and year Hon. Paulino Sawit took his oath as town caretaker. As per records in the city library archives, Mayor Sawit conducted session after he was sworn in until before the settlement of the issue of “two mayors and officials” on March 1 of the following year.


To oversee the first elections after the People Power Revolution, DLG Secretary Luis T. Santos appointed new batches of local officials on December 1, 1987. Hon. Simeon Tomas Dela Cruz was OIC-mayor. On January 18, 1988, Hon. Benjamin G. Dy emerged as winner in the mayoralty race.


Senior Councilor Constante Foronda resigned early January of 1992 followed by Vice Mayor Dalin on January 15, 1992. Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member (Ex-Officio, ABC) Hon. Faustino G. Dy III was appointed on the 20th of the same month and year to fill up the position of municipal vice mayor. On March 18, 1992, Mayor Benjamin Dy resigned his post to file his certificate of candidacy for governor of Isabela. Vice Mayor Faustino Dy III by virtue of the law of succession became mayor of Cauayan.


In the May 11, 1992 national and local elections, Hon. Faustino G. Dy III emerged victorious. In the May 8, 1995 midterm local elections, Mayor Dy won his second term and in the May 11, 1998 elections, he won his third term.


On February 28, 2001, the old pueblo of Cauayan was created into a component city by virtue of Republic Act No. 9017 (House Bill No. 8328 & Senate Bill 2243) signed by Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with incumbent Mayor Faustino G. Dy III as the first city mayor.


In the May 14, 2001 local elections, Hon. Caesar de Guzman Dy was victorious as the first elected city mayor of Cauayan. In the May 10, 2004 local elections, Mayor Caesar Dy won his second term and on the May 14, 2007 midterm elections, Mayor Caesar Dy won a third and last term.


On May 10, 2010, former Governor Benjamin Dy served his third term as local chief executive and first term as city mayor of Cauayan. On February 16, 2013, however, Mayor Benjamin Dy succumbed to an illness and by law of succession, Vice Mayor Bartolome Agonoy Mallillin assumed the mayorship of Cauayan City up to June 30 of the same year.


Hon. Bernard Faustino L. Dy was elected as city mayor of Cauayan on May 13, 2013. In the May 9, 2016 national and local elections, Mayor Bernard Faustino M. Dy was re-elected and in the May 13, 2019 midterm elections, Mayor Dy was elected into his third and last term as local chief executive of the Ideal City of the North.


Cauayan, home of the Gawagaway-yan Festival, has been placed in the world map during the incumbency of visionary Mayor Bernard Dy for his administration focused on the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all people and the world by 2030. Mayor Bernard Dy set the bar of outstanding and transformative leadership high for the future mayors to emulate which will positively result in a future-proof place to dwell in.

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