Alimodian
Alimodian, officially the Municipality of Alimodian, is a municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the, it has a population of people.
Known as the Banana Capital of Western Visayas, it produces not only the most harvest in Western Visayas, but also the sweetest banana in the region. The town also boasts of producing maize, mangoes, root crops, sweet potatoes, legumes, bamboo, coconuts, as well as high yielding crops such as carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and strawberries, thus widely regarded as the Strawberry Capital of Iloilo, as it produces substantial amount of strawberries in its strawberry farms.
Etymology
The name of the town is derived from alimodia or alimodias, the old Visayan name for Job's tears, a grain-bearing plant of the grass family ubiquitous in the town according to the recent discovered research through the town's old Spanish manuscript and documents. The plant owes its name to the shape of its hard-shelled pseudocarps which are made by some into necklaces or rosary beads.History
Spanish colonial period
Alimodian was formerly an arrabal of the town of Ogtong. The town was founded in 1754 by Capitan Agustin Magtanong. On August 20, 1756, Alimodian was officially separated from Ogtong.The original church of Alimodian was first constructed in 1754. It was agreed that the site of the church would be on the place where the rope that pulled the tablon would break. The tablon came from the shore of Ogtong and it was pulled by a pair of carabaos. Thus the site was decided and the people built a chapel of bamboos, cogon and logs. The plan to build a permanent church made of bricks and rocks plastered with lime was initiated in 1780 by then gobernadorcillo Marcos Gregorio and incumbent priest Fr. Francisco Monasterio and was moved on the northwest of the church's cemetery on Nichols St. It was completed in 1784 but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1787.
The cornerstone of a permanent stone was laid on December 5, 1859, through the efforts of parish priest Fr. Florencio Martin and gobernadorcillo Don Timoteo Amarra. It was well attended by Spanish dignitaries from Manila, Cebu and Iloilo. It was completed in 1864 and was formally opened to public on December 22, 1864, amidst a colorful ceremonies.
The first permanent municipal hall was constructed in 1872 more than a century after its foundation since the first municipal building was built. It was completed in 1873 at a cost of 300 pesos during the incumbency of Capitan Marcelo Tolentino y Alger.
Calamities during the 19th century
The last half of the 19th century has been infamously remembered as one of the most disastrous and disturbing period in the annals of Alimodian.It started in December 1851 when it rained tremendously for over a week with some gusty winds. The heavy downpour causes deluge on the rivers uprooting huge trees carrying them from the banks of the river to the plains. No official record of casualties existed. Another typhoon happened in May 1866 struck several towns including Alimodian. During its full strength a lightning struck the giant cross on the belfry of the new church toppling it to the ground. A strong earthquake jolted the church on June 29, 1869, a feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul and many pious devotees who flocked to the church at 7 am mass suffered broken limbs during a commotion. A big fire took place at around 1 pm April 25, 1877 and at least 17 houses made of bamboo and other light materials reduced to ashes while an old woman caught fire and left several families homeless. July and August 1877 were months ravaged with typhoon and severe flooding causing many trees to be uprooted. The heavy downpour in those months caused nature to exhaust its supply that from September 1877 to May 1878 not a single drop fell from heaven. There is a severe drought and the town suffered almost 10 months of arid climate people are parched and feel the searing heat pierced their bodies and crops were devastated and no single harvest took place in 1878 because it was a toxic year of famine, disease and death. On March 1, 1878, at eight in the evening, a huge fire reduced to ashes some 180 houses in Balud and Dawis just near the town plaza. Many got sick and perished in the dreaded months of August to December 1878 due to low resistance brought by deficient food intake. Almost 3,000 elderly people and children died on this tragic period and anemia and gastroenteritis were the leading cause of their early deaths. Another pestilence happen in August 1882 and according to the records some 900 people perished. A strong earthquake shook the town on February 2, 1887, which caused the stone image of St. Augustine which sits on top of the main door of the church to fell.
American colonial period
The turn of the century, with the coming of the Americans, didn't augur well for the town. On September 8, 1900, tragedy struck with the outbreak of cholera. The epidemic according to the official records took the lives of at least 700 people, which does not include those in the remote villages.In 1902 Wilford Nichols, an American teacher arrived in Alimodian to teach the English language. Those who were already proficient in Spanish were required to attend school first so they could in turn teach other citizens how to read and write in English. The first principal was Justo Puga, and the first teachers were Felicidad Alingasa Santa Cruz, Venancia Santa Cruz Edurese and Concepcion Alfante Akol.
Alimodian together with San Miguel became an arrabales of the town of Leon under Commonwealth Act No. 719 signed on April 4, 1903, which takes effect in January 1904. Executive Order No. 45 signed by Governor General Francis Burton Harrison separated Alimodian from Leon effective December 31, 1918. By the first day of 1919 Alimodian elevated its status from just an arrabal of Leon to a fully independent municipality.
Japanese occupation and World War II
The Japanese Imperial Army first passed by Alimodian on April 19, 1942, from Maasin aboard their trucks and bicycles. They left the town peacefully and without any incidents since there were no combat forces in the area as they camped out in the mountains like in Cabacanan long before the Japanese military arrived, except for the intelligence operatives of the G-2 section and other units who were in the town center to monitor covertly the movements of the invading enemy forces. The operatives included Sgt. Marcelo Tolentino, Conrado Norada, former Iloilo governor, and Sgt. Alfredo Galon. It was learned based on the intelligence reports gathered by the military that there were Japanese sympathizers among the evacuees at the convent of Fr. Mariano Perez, who was the parish priest at the time Sgt. Galon was planted as a houseboy at the convent. The information Fr. Mariano Perez gathered was relayed to Maj. Rafael Almacen, chief of the G-2 Intelligence Section operative during the war. In May 1942, an order was received from Major Rafael Almacen to round up Filipino soldiers who escaped being a prisoner of war and convince them to join Panay Free Forces organized in the mountains of Lambunao by Panay movement led by Col. Macario Peralta, Lt. Col. Leopoldo Relunia, Maj. Jose Alvior, Lt. Col. Julian Chavez and other responsible officers of the disbanded USAFFE. Refusal to join meant their firearms would be confiscated. The designated town officer, First Lt. Marcelo Tolentino organized the Alimodian chapter of the movement in June 1942. This was a sub-unit of the First Iloilo Sector consisting of southern towns of Iloilo. Major Almacen was assigned as sector commander by Col. Peralta. During the first few months of guerilla warfare, Sitio Taban became the center of activities of guerillas, Japanese spies and civilians. After the Japanese eventually landed in Iloilo, the town's public market was transferred to Sitio Taban.Taban massacre
This tragic infamous incident etched in the annals of Alimodian history and forever ingrained in the memories of the townsfolk took place in the early morning of August 17, 1942.It was a fine busy Tuesday morning and people were busy trading and buying and selling farm produce and people of all ages and genders crowded the marketplace. All of a sudden the Japanese appeared in a flash. The first impulse is to escape but it was too late for most of the people to escape. The preconceived plan of getting all the able bodied men from the crowd was carried out, Japanese forces seized them and tied their hands. About 50 men were captured after all the rest successfully eluded the Japanese while those who were left in the scene were women. Bayonets and sabers were immediately put into action after lining up the captured 50 men who were securely tied up. One by one, the captives were made to stand against the trunk of a coconut tree. Immediately, each one of them was subjected to bayonet thrusts and later beheaded with sabers. The massacre was completed and the severed heads of the victims were left scattered around to be eaten by the dogs after the murderers had gone. The Japanese soldiers were ruthless and committed many atrocities during the Second World War.
The brave Filipinos had to fight back. On May 7, 1942, the first ambush on the Japanese Imperial forces took place in Barangay Balabago led by Col. Macario Peralta, commander of the Panay Guerilla and Free Panay Movement. Meanwhile, Col. Julian Chavez, the 63rd Regiment Commander established his command post in Barangay Dalid in preparation for the landing of the American forces in Parara Sur, Tigbauan. The 63rd Regiment Hospital headed by Capt. Alejandro Nery Cruz, MD was housed in the old central school building now the site of Alimodian Water District and Municipal Library. US navy pilot, Ensign William G. Shackleford was safely brought in Alimodian after his forced landing in Barrio Bangkal, Tigbauan, Iloilo due to engine trouble during an air raid of Iloilo City on September 13–14 and 24, 1944. William Shackleford was saved by the guerillas and able to dismantle six machine guns and hundreds of ammunitions. William Shackleford also burned his plane by firing a tracer bullet before the Japanese arrived. Shackleford was brought by Lt. Marcelo Tolentino to the command post in Inocencio Street. Shackleford was welcomed cheerfully and treated like a hero and offered a sumptuous meal by the Segovia sisters, Luisa, Carolina and Maria who were evacuees from the city and signed autographs in emergency notes by those present. In turn Shackleford distributed chewing gums and candies.