Aserradora Mecánica de Tuason y Sampedro

Last updated

The first full-time mechanical sawmill in the Philippines, the Ascerradura de Mecanica, was opened in the 1880s by Tuason and Sampedro in Gunao Street in Quiapo, a heavily mestizo section of Manila. [1]

Contents

History of Manila Timber Trade

Manila has been a prime city in the 17th century due to Manila Galleon; thus, it increased in size and importance because Manila became the main port for Philippine commodity export economy.[ citation needed ] Several establishments such as foreign trading houses, cigar manufacturing, shipping centers, as well as the colonial government and the Catholic Church were centered at Manila.[ citation needed ] Due to the increasing activity, it also increased the demand for new construction; thus, creating an urban lumber market. [1] Manila became the ultimate destination for wood. Timber became a commodity - firewood for cooking and source of fuel, fine woods such as narra and baticulin for furniture and woodworking, solid woods like molave for ship and house framing, and yakal and ipil for construction. [1]

Top Six Leading Provinces Sending Timber to Manila: 1864, 1872, 1875, and 1881

1864187218751881
290 Shipments; 15 Provinces120 Shipments; 8 Provinces206 Shipments; 9 Provinces304 Shipments; 13 Provinces
Tayabas - 84 Tayabas - 65 Tayabas - 84 Tayabas - 113
Mindoro - 57 Mindoro - 28 Mindoro - 61 Mindoro - 68
Masbate - 41 Marinduque - 12 Romblon - 17 Romblon - 27
Romblon - 35 Batangas - 8 Marinduque - 14 Marinduque - 25
Zambales - 29 Zambales - 3 Masbate - 11 Masbate - 20
Batangas - 14 Masbate - 2 Bataan - 7 Zambales - 16
Reference: Gaceta de Manila 1864; El Comercio 1872, 1875, and 1881. [2]

Hierarchy

The Market in 1864 basically involves 3 kinds of individuals - captain, or arraez, sellers, and the buyers (mostly Spaniards and building contractors). The process of log arrival in the port of Manila are as follows: Few ships arrive with full cargo of timber. Instead, ships came from provinces with partial cargo of timber, along with other commodities. The captains, or arraez enter the port without making prior arrangements on the potential sellers (to the buyers, Spaniards). They would wait for almost 3–4 weeks before returning. In the end, some arraez performed the roles of both supplier of goods and sellers at the same time. [1] The patrons of the timber products include building contractors and some Spaniards, who were also merchants - using timber for their own construction projects. [1]

Top Six Timber Merchants, 1864 and 1881

Rank1864 - Name and Shipments1881 - Name and Shipments
FirstDon Manuel Callejas - 20J. Duyanding - 35
SecondDon Jose Baza - 8P. Valenzuela - 24
ThirdDon Cayetano Miguel - 8J. Borromeo - 23
FourthDon Jose Rodriguez - 8C. Valenzuela - 20
FifthDon Clemente Alcantara - 6E. Jose - 16
SixthDon Geronimo Ramos - 6M. Bertoluci - 15
Reference: Gaceta de Manila 1864; El Comercio 1881. [3]

Sawmills

By the time of the 1903 census, there were said to be fourteen sawmills "recently set up" in the Philippines utilizing steam or waterpower, eight of these in Manila alone.[ citation needed ] Thirty-three small hand-sawing establishments were also reported to be in operation. Also, Manila had 18 furniture makers, 4 wood carving establishments, 10 carpentry businesses, and 6 ship builders. By 1920, 14 timber concessions and 40 sawmills were operational countrywide. [1]

Evolution of Philippine architecture

New design of buildings followed after the 1863 earthquake. The new plans relied more heavily on wood than before because it was less prone than stone to collapse during an earthquake. Fernando Zialcita and Martin Tiñio, describing the evolution of Philippine architecture from 1810 to 1930, note that 1863 marked a shift from heavy stone foundations to a lighter mortar framed by wooden "stiffeners" in the walls. The new design was more flexible and required more timber for building materials. [4]

History of Aserradora Mecanica de Tuason y Sampedro

Founder

Don Mariano Severo Tuason

Aserradora Mecanica de Tuason y Sampedro was founded by Don José Severo Tuason and Don Miguel García Sampedro in 1880. Don Mariano Severo Tuason was the great-great-grandson of the late Son Tua (later became Don Antonio Tuason). Don Antonio Tuason was considered as one of the most prominent Filipino during the 18th century. He helped the Spanish Governor General Simon de Anda by organizing 1500 Chinese mestizos to strengthen the Spanish government against British Occupation. In return, the Spanish Governor-General exempted him to pay tributes for two generations in 1775. He was also encouraged to hispanized his name, from Son-Tua to Tua-Son. [5]

Paulino Miranda Sampedro

One of the presidents and general manager of Tuason and Sampedro, Inc. Paulino Miranda Sampedro.jpg
One of the presidents and general manager of Tuason and Sampedro, Inc.

One of the most successful foreign businessmen in the Philippines was Mr. Paulino Miranda Sampedro. [5]

Mr. Paulino Miranda Sampedro was born on June 18, 1897, in Quiros, Asturias, Spain. He was married to Maria Lourdes de Moreta y Puyol and had nine children, namely: Paulino, Jaime, Maria dela Asuncion, Carlos, Alfredo, Maria Elena, Mario Cesar, Maria Lourdes and Juan Antonio. Mr. Sampedro was a graduate of commerce from the Polytechnic Institute of Sevilla. He served as professor in commerce in the Academy of Commercial Practice of Mr. Jose Menendez, Director of the Bank in Oviedo, Spain. [5]

Mr. Paulino Sampedro was 18 years old when he started working as director-treasurer of the firm Rubin Sons, Importers and Lumber Concessionaires in Oviedo, Spain. In 1926, he became director-editor of the Covadonga Review and Knight of St. Silvestre in 1929. In 1930, he was made president of the conference of St. Vincent of Paul. At the same time he founded the Society of Soft Drink Makers and has been its president for thirty-one years. In 1934 he was appointed commissioner commercial delegate for the Philippine government in China for Philippine products and became the president of the Society of Papal or Pontifical Knights in the Philippines three years after. It was in 1937 when Mr. Sampedro founded the Spanish Juvenile Organization in the Philippines and became its delegate since then. He was co-founder, treasurer and adviser of the Social Auxiliary and founder and director of the Students Savings Box which were founded in 1938 and 1939, respectively. It was at that time when he became vice-president of the Hospital Español of Santiago and Philippine delegate of the international convention of the American soft drink companies in San Francisco, California. In 1940 he organized the Spanish-Filipino Pavilion in the Farmer and Labor Jubilee Exposition. [5]

On October 15, 1942, he was appointed as a director of the Settlement House of St. Joseph and director of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines on Feb. 15, 1943. In April, 1947 he was made representative consul of Ecuador. A year later, in 1948, he was honorary vice-consul of the Republic of Costa Rica; Major knight commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great; Knight Magistral Grace of the S.O.M. of Maita; Grand Cross of the Order of St. Silvestre and knight commander with place of Isabel, the Catholic. [5]

Mr. Sampedro's activities extend far beyond his being distinguished member of the Bene-meritus of the Missionary Association of the Military Order of Malta in 1949; knight of Grand-Cross and official delegate of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in the Philippines, and titular member of the Spanish-Cultural Institute in Madrid in 1950 and 1951, respectively. [5]

On April 23, 1950, he was an official delegate of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce in the World Congress of Chamber of Commerce held in Rome. In 1953, he organized the Hispano-Filipino Block, "Generalisimo Franco" and again was appointed official delegate of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce for the economic cooperation, to the Congress of the Ibero-American and Philippines held in Madrid and Barcelona. A year after, he organized the Hispano-Filipino Bank and initiated and authored the Spanish-Castle in 1956. It was also in 1956 when he became merit-collaborator of the Doctor's Academy in Madrid. [5]

He was the President and General Manager of the following businesses: [5]

Location

Parcel 2 (lot No. 2, plan 11-13272) - On the N. by lot No. 1; on the E. by Estero de Quiapo; on the S. by lot No. 3; and on the W. by property claimed by Tuason y Sampedro and Calle Gunao. Area 717.8 square meters [6]

Parcel 3 (lot No. 3, plan 11-13272) - On the N. by lot No. 2; on the E. by Estero de Quiapo; and on the SW. and W. by property claimed by Tuason y Sampedro and Calle Gunao. Area 792.3 square meters [6]

Present Condition

Marker from National Historical Commission of the Philippines

The marker of Aserradora Mecanica de Tuason y Sampedro was installed in 1951 at Globo de Oro cor. Gunao Sts. Quiapo, Manila. It was installed by Philippine Historical Committee (now National Historical Commission of the Philippines). [7]

Original Spanish TextTranslated English Text
(courtesy of Joel Lucky C. Aldor)
EN 1880 DON MARIANO SEVERO TUASON Y DON MIGUEL GARCIA SAMPEDRO FUNDAN LA SOCIEDAD MERCANTIL TUASON Y SAMPEDRO, LA QUE MONTA Y OPERA LA PRIMERA SIERRA MECANICA EN MANILA EN SU ACTUAL LOCAL CALLE GLOBO DE ORO, NUM 801-817, QUIAPO. CONTRIBUYEN A LA EXPANSION DE LA INDUSTRIA MADERERA DE PAIS ESTABLECIENDO CORTES DE MADERAS EN CAGAYAN, ISABELA, MINDORO Y MINDANAO. DISPENSA TRATO JUSTO Y EQUITATIVO A SUS NUMEROSOS OBREROS [7] In 1880, Don Mariano Severo Tuason and Don Miguel Garcia Sampedro founded the "Tuason & Sampedro Mercantile Company", the first to open and operate a mechanical timber factory located at Calle Globo de Oro, No. 801-817, Quiapo. The business contributed to the expansion of the timber industry and established the charters of Cagayan, Isabela, Mindoro and Mindanao. He is known for his fair and equal treatment to his numerous workers.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binondo</span> District of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

Binondo is a district in Manila and is referred to as the city's Chinatown. Its influence extends beyond to the places of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Tondo. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594 by the Spaniards as a settlement near Intramuros but across the Pasig River for Catholic Chinese; it was positioned so that the colonial administration could keep a close eye on their migrant subjects. It was already a hub of Chinese commerce even before the Spanish colonial period. Binondo is the center of commerce and trade of Manila, where all types of business run by Filipino-Chinese thrive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quiapo, Manila</span> District of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

Quiapo is a district of the city of Manila, in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Known as the “Old Downtown of Manila", the district’s most famous landmark is Quiapo Church, a minor basilica enshrining Asia's most sacred Black Nazarene image, which has been processed every January in the historic district, attracting millions of devotees from all over the country and region. The historic district is also dotted with numerous heritage sites, ranging from ancestral and heritage houses such as those in Hidalgo Street, museums, art galleries, libraries, historic places of worship such as churches and mosques, historic cinemas, as well as historic parks and streets, many of which have been run over by informal settlers and the construction of shanty houses, as well as buildings built by corporations in the name of so-called "modernization". Many historic sites were destroyed by both the Japanese and American colonizers during World War II without compensation or aid for reconstruction, while some post-war sites were demolished by certain corporations. In recent years, various heritage organizations, experts, and lawmakers have pushed for the re-vitalization of Quiapo as a heritage zone, including the rebuilding of lost heritage structures, the revamping of modern structures to fit the historic district's original aesthetics, as well as the planting of trees and plants and the refurnishing of streets to make the district more safe, walkable, and climate-adaptive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Mesa</span> District of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

Santa Mesa is a district in Manila, Philippines. It is surrounded by the Pasig River on the southwestern side, and by the San Juan River on its southern and eastern side. Land borders include the districts of San Miguel to the west and Sampaloc to the north; and to the northeast is Quezon City.

<i>Halo-halo</i> Filipino dessert

Halo-halo, also spelled haluhalo, Tagalog for "mixed", is a popular cold dessert in the Philippines made up of crushed ice, evaporated milk or coconut milk, and various ingredients including side dishes such as ube jam, sweetened kidney beans or garbanzo beans, coconut strips, sago, gulaman (agar), pinipig, boiled taro or soft yams in cubes, flan, slices or portions of fruit preserves and other root crop preserves. The dessert is topped with a scoop of ube ice cream. It is usually prepared in a tall clear glass and served with a long spoon. Halo-halo is considered to be the unofficial national dessert of the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benito Legarda</span> Filipino legislator

Benito Cosmé Legarda y Tuason was a Filipino legislator who was a member of the Philippine Commission of the American colonial Insular Government, the government's legislature, and later a Resident Commissioner from the Philippine Islands to the United States Congress.

León María Guerrero y Leogardo was a Filipino writer, revolutionary leader, politician, the first licensed pharmacist in the Philippines, and one of the most eminent botanists in the country in his time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Cruz, Manila</span> District of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

Santa Cruz is a district in the northern part of the City of Manila, Philippines, located on the right bank of the Pasig River near its mouth, bordered by the districts of Tondo, Binondo, Quiapo, and Sampaloc, as well as the areas of Grace Park and Barrio San Jose in Caloocan and the district of La Loma in Quezon City. The district belongs to the 3rd congressional district of Manila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julio Nakpil</span>

Julio Nakpil y García was a Filipino musician, composer and a General during the Philippine Revolution against Spain. He was a member of the Katipunan, a secret society turned revolutionary government which was formed to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines. His Katipunan adoptive name was J. Giliw or simply Giliw. He was commissioned by Andres Bonifacio, President of the Insurgent Tagalog Republic, to compose a hymn which was intended to become the National Anthem of the Tagalog Republic. That hymn was entitled "Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan". Thus, to some, he is remembered as the composer of the first national anthem of the Philippines. He is also a known huge critic of Emilio Aguinaldo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Nakpil</span> Filipino architect (1899–1986)

Juan Felipe de Jesús Nakpil, KGCR, KSS known as Juan Nakpil, was a Filipino architect, teacher and a community leader. In 1973, he was named one of the National Artists for architecture. He was regarded as the Dean of Filipino Architects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legarda Street</span> Street in Manila, Philippines

Legarda Street is a short street located in Sampaloc district in Manila, Philippines. It crosses through the eastern section of the University Belt area in a generally east–west orientation between the Nagtahan Interchange and the intersection with Nepomuceno Street in Quiapo. It is served by Legarda station of the LRTA's Line 2 system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse racing in the Philippines</span>

Horseracing in the Philippines began as a recreational activity in 1867. Its history is divided into three major time periods based on the breed of horses raced, in conjunction with the three significant eras of Philippine history. According to the type of horses used, the periods are the Philippine-pony era (1867–1898), the Arabian-horse era (1898–1930), and the Thoroughbred era (1935–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thirteen Martyrs of Bagumbayan</span>

The Thirteen Martyrs of Bagumbayan were Filipino patriots in the Philippines who were executed by musketry on January 11, 1897, for cooperating with the Katipunan during the Philippine Revolution against Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Cross Orphanage</span> Orphanage in San Juan, Philippines

White Cross Orphanage is a child caring agency in San Juan, Philippines that provides temporary shelter for children, who are 0–6 years old. Accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), it gives refuge to children of unwed mothers, indigent families, tuberculosis patients, mentally or physically-incapacitated parents, prisoners, or victims of incest or rape. These children are provided with medical assistance, educational care, and financial support to help them in their early years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casa Hidalgo</span> Heritage house in Bataan, Philippines

The Rafael Enriquez House, also known as Casa Hidalgo, is a heritage house originally located at Quiapo, Manila, owned by Rafael Enriquez, a Spanish peninsular and painter (1850–1937). The house was built in 1867 – one of the first projects of architect Felix Roxas y Arroyo. Some of his notable works were Paterno House and Zamora House in Quiapo, Manila and the 1867 Santo Domingo Church in Intramuros, Manila. However, a carving on king post, stating "1807", indicates that the house was built before Rafael Enriquez occupied the house. This was discovered in 2006 – wherein the house was dismantled and relocated at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bagac, Bataan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pablo Ocampo</span> Filipino nationalist

Pablo Ocampo de León was a Filipino lawyer, nationalist, a member of the Malolos Congress, inaugural holder of the office of Resident Commissioner from the Philippine Islands to the United States Congress alongside Benito Legarda and a member of the 2nd Philippine Legislature. He gave his service to his country and helped to bring about the peaceful transition of the Philippines from being a colony of Spain for more than 300 years to what will later become the American Commonwealth of the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Metro Manila–related articles</span>

The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the Philippine capital region of Metro Manila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manila Jockey Club</span> Horse racing institution in Manila, Philippines

The Manila Jockey Club, Inc. (MJC) is a horse racing institution in the Philippines. One of the oldest race clubs in the Asia-Pacific region, the club was established in 1867 in Manila and is based in Carmona, Cavite. It is also a member of the Asian Racing Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinta Market</span> Public market in Manila, Philippines

Quinta Market, also known as Quiapo Market and officially called the Quinta Market and Fishport since 2017, is a palengke on Carlos Palanca Street in Quiapo, Manila, in the Philippines, along the banks of the Pasig River.

Paulino Arandia Gullas was a Filipino Visayan lawyer, newspaper publisher, and legislator from Cebu, Philippines. He was the founder of The Freeman, Cebu's longest-running newspaper, served as member of the 7th Philippine Legislature for Cebu's 2nd district (1925–1927), Delegate to the 1934 Constitutional Convention, and member of the National Assembly during World War II.

Fernando Nakpil Zialcita is a Filipino anthropologist and cultural historian. His areas of specialization are in heritage and identity; art and its cultural context; and interfaces between the foreign and the indigenous.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Philippine Studies: The Timber Trade and the Growth of Manila, 1864-1881. Ateneo de Manila University. 2002.
  2. ↑ Gaceta de Manila 1864; El Comercio 1872, 1875, and 1881.
  3. ↑ Gaceta de Manila 1864; El Comercio 1881.
  4. ↑ Zialcita, Fernando & Tinio Jr., Martin (1980). Philippine Ancestral Houses. GCF Books.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Tableau: Encyclopedia of Distinguished Personalities in the Philippines, Volume 1. National Souvenir Publications. 1957.
  6. 1 2 Official Gazette, Volume 18, Part 1. 1920.
  7. 1 2 Historical Markers: Metropolitan Manila. National Historical Institute. 1993.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.