San Jose, years before it became a town was a wilderness, a veritable hunting ground for wild animals by the inhabitants of its neighboring towns. The earliest inhabitants were known as Negritos (Baluga) headed by Kapitan Danding, a Negrito convert residing in Pinagcuartelan. These early inhabitants depended mostly on hunting and fishing for their livelihood. Some hunters from the neighboring towns considered San Jose to be a good place for settlers due to its wide and uncleared agricultural land. The first group of settlers made some clearings (kaingin) in the outskirts of the present town. [5]
Originally, San Jose was a part of the town of Puncan, but later on, because of its nearness to Lupao, it was made a barrio of the latter. The early history of this town was coupled with the early history of Puncan and Lupao. Formerly, San Jose was known as the barrio of “Kabaritan” derived from barit, an Ilocano word for a plant that belongs to the rattan family. “Kabaritan” means the place where “barit” grows in abundance. [5] [6]
Spanish colonial era
On March 19, 1894, San Jose became a full-fledged town, with an interim government headed by a Capitan Municipal. “Kabaritan” (now known as San Jose) was made an independent town from Lupao and was named after Saint Joseph, the patron saint of the place. [7]
During the Spanish Regime, the barrio of Kabaritan was a municipal district of Lupao, headed by a Teniente Absoluto. Later, when Kabaritan was declared a town in 1894, the head was changed to a Capitan Municipal. The first appointed Capitan Municipal was Canuto Ramos, who served from 1894 to 1898. One of his remarkable achievements was the construction of an irrigation system which was later taken over and enlarged by the government (now the Talavera River Irrigation System) which irrigates vast ricefields as far as the towns of Muñoz and Talavera.
Several years before the Philippine Revolution, the Ilocanos from Ilocos Region and some parts of Nueva Ecija, especially the towns of Santo Domingo, Muñoz and Lupao, as well as Pangasinenses of Pangasinan and northern Tarlac, Tagalogs (including Batangueños) and Kapampangans, settled into the forest of Kabaritan, and cleared its wilderness. [6] [8] It was from this time then that the growth of the town really started.
American era
When the revolution broke out and upon the surrender of the Spaniards in 1898, a revolutionary government was set up in San Jose. The town remained as such until the establishment of a civil government under the Americans in 1901. [6]
San Jose, under the American Regime, [9] became a progressive town. Its inhabitants enjoyed more rights and privileges- political, economic, intellectual and religious than before. This was due to the establishment of various schools, churches, public buildings and the construction of roads and bridges, which made possible the fast progress of the town.
From 1898 to 1900, a military government under the American Regime [9] was established. Jose Cardenas was appointed Capitan Municipal. During his term, the appointment of town officials, town planning, and the opening of new settlements were among his achievements.
The second appointed Capitan Municipal during the military government (1900–1901) was Celestino Javalde who continued the opening of new settlements and the construction of roads in the poblacion.
When the civil government under the American Regime was established, Cornelio Ramos was appointed Capitan Municipal. He continued the construction of roads in the poblacion and he also took a hand in the construction of irrigation canals leading to the different barrios of San Jose.
In 1904, the Filipinos were given more rights and freedom in choosing the right man to take the reins of the government. An election was held. The first elected Municipal President was Crisanto Sanchez (1904–1906). Among his achievements were the construction of roads, the naming of the streets in the poblacion and the appointments of municipal officials.
Again, (1906–1908) Celestino Javalde was elected Municipal President. [7] With the help of his vice-president and other municipal officials, he stressed land reforms, which paved the way for equal distribution of lands.
The President-elect of 1908–1910, Valerio Escobar concentrated on the construction of roads from Sibut to San Agustin. He also founded the barrios of Santa Barbara and Kapisungan (now Bagong Sikat).
Desiderio De Guzman was elected in 1910 and served up to 1912. [7] He had many achievements but among all these, he paid more attention to the improvements of records in the Poblacion.
During the incumbency of Municipal President Agapito Kurameng, (1912–1916), he initiated the construction of a concrete elementary school building (Gabaldon building) which now comprised one of the central school buildings of the San Jose West Elementary School. The improvement of roads, and expropriation of lots for the Municipal Hall and the Public Market were among his other achievements. [7]
The construction of the Municipal building and the construction of more roads leading to the barrios were launched by Gregorio Cadhit (1916–1919). He was re-elected to office from 1919 to 1922. During his second term, he initiated the construction of one of the buildings of the public market. [7]
As years went by, the town developed such that there was a need for more public improvements and building constructions for the welfare of the populace. To meet these demands, the newly elected President Rafael Rueda and Vice-president Estanislao Arquero with the help of other municipal officials put up a Puericulture Center and a Municipal Nursery from 1922 to 1925. A second building for the public market was also constructed. Telephone lines connecting the poblacion with all the barrios were installed. A road to Kalbarito (now Palestina) was constructed and more improvement of roads was done. [7]
Raymundo Eugenio was elected Municipal President of San Jose for the period from 1925 to 1928. A third building for the public market was constructed and more construction of roads, especially those leading to Andres Bonifacio, were put underway.
In 1928–1931, Apolonio Pascual and Vice-president Victorino Villar were instrumental in putting up the fourth building for the public market and the municipal dispensary. More improvement of roads leading to the barrios was also done.
Raymundo Eugenio was re-elected to the office. He served from 1931 to 1934 with Vice-president Ladislao Bunag. Eugenio was called the road-building President of San Jose because of his efforts in the construction of many roads especially leading to the barrios of Bagong Bayan, Porais, Tondod, and Andres Bonifacio.
Apolonio Pascual was re-elected for the 1934–1937 term. Dimas Tomas was his vice president. Changes in the set-up in 1935 upon the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth marked the transition of the heads of the municipal government to be known as the Alcalde and Vice-Alcalde. Aside from the construction of more roads, the barrios of Patacla (now San Francisco) and A. Pascual were founded. The waterworks that provide the people of San Jose with drinking water was constructed and installed. The home economics building of San Jose Central School was also constructed.
Alcalde Pedro Del Pilar and Vice-Alcalde Severino Bautista, under the Commonwealth government, established NARIC (National Rice and Corn) buying stations in the town. This was during their term of office from 1937 to 1940. They were re-elected for the 1940–1942 term. As a continuation of their policies, the improvement of roads was continued. [7]
Japanese occupation
Upon the outbreak of World War II on December 8, 1941, San Jose became an evacuation center for refugees from neighboring provinces especially those from Manila and its suburbs. The town was bombed by two Japanese planes on December 23, 1941. The terror-stricken populace, who suffered heavy casualties, fled to the remotest barrios of San Jose. An emergency government was established in the barrio of Porais with Basilio Duran as Mayor, appointed by the military forces of the Commonwealth Government. The emergency government existed for a short time, due to the arrival of the Japanese Imperial Forces on January 26, 1942.
An emergency government, under the control of the Japanese Imperial Forces, was likewise established in Porais with Matias Bautista as Mayor. Due to the non-cooperation of Bautista, the Japanese army replaced him with Anastacio Bascos. Engr. Casimiro Panajon succeeded him, but was later murdered by the Japanese for his non-collaboration with them and his guerilla activities.
During the liberation, Anselmo Patacsil, Pedro Del Pilar and Basilio Duran were appointed in succession as Mayors by the PCAU (Philippine Civil Affairs Unit). [7] Each served for a short period in 1945–1946. They once more strived for the re-organization of the municipal government in cooperation with officials to coordinate the work of the PCAU. These persons helped in the establishment of emergency hospitals, the North Provincial High School and the re-opening of elementary schools.
