BRIEF SOCIO-POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE

MUNICIPALITY OF TALUGTUG*

A. Pre-Liberation Period

Talugtug got its name from its location, it means “top”. There used to be
a Balite tree on a hilltop near the Cuyapo-Munoz trail. Under this tree, travelers
and shepherds in the good old days used to rest, enjoying the cool moon breeze
and the exhilarating view of the surrounding areas. Eventually, the people
referred to the place as “Talugtug-Balite”, which later on became a barrio of the
Municipality of Cuyapo. Its first barrio lieutenant was Simeon Ramos. The
Municipality of Cuyapo built the first schoolhouse in the area. When Guimba
took over it named a portion of “Talugtug-Balite” as “San Isidro”, and made it
one of its barrios. Crisanto Baldovino, Bernardo Umipig, Perfecto Urbano and
Esteban Baldovino were its outstanding “Tenientes del Barrio”. On the other
hand, the outstanding “Tenientes del Barrio of “Talugtug-Balite” were Mariano
Mendoza, Pablo Dacayo, Andres Dumandan, and Severino Cachuela.

B. The Struggle for Recognition

After liberation, the inhabitants of the surrounding barrios gathered for

the first time in Talugtug. In that gathering, the barrio leaders, at the insistence
of Romualdo Estillore, seriously considered the creation of the municipality. A
meeting of the people was held on November 3, 1946 wherein a committee to
negotiate for the creation of the proposed municipality was organized.
Romualdo Estillore was chosen Chairman, and Aniceto Feliciano, Simeon
Ramos and Fermin Ancheta were selected Vice Chairman, Auditor, Secretary,
and Treasurer, respectively. The move was pushed in the real earnest for an all-
out struggle. People generously contributed for expenses. They knew that if the
proposed municipality will be created and organized, there would be no further
evaluation of the prevailing conditions and farmwork would not be neglected.
The situation was very critical and immediate action was needed.

A petition was drafted and signed by the inhabitants of the different

barrios, and then presented to the Provincial Board of Nueva Ecija on December
6, 1946. The Provincial Board approved the petition, but the Department of the
Interior demanded essential data, the emergency situation in the area
notwithstanding. On Feruary 12, 1947, the Provincial Board, the mayors of the
Municipalities of Guimba, Cuyapo, Munoz and Lupao came to Talugtug for a
meeting. They found out that the people were unanimous and insistent in their
clamor for the organization of a municipal government. They noted too the
growth in population and the increase in the number of houses undergoing
construction. The Provincial Board passed Resolution No. 92 corroborating the
statement of Major Nocete, the Provincial Commander, that the emergency
conditions demanded the organization of a municipal government.

By April 1947, all papers were ready for final approval, but Dr. Marciano
Roque, then Undersecretary of the Department of the Interior, required the

* Revised 12-02-2019; References: Knowing People, Remembering Places and Other Events; OMB Order,
December 22, 2015, 71st Founding Anniversary Souvenir Program, and institutional vision of Talugtug.

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comments of the councils of the mother towns and a possible revision of the
estimates of income. Romualdo Estillore, the leader of the movement was
almost at the point of despair and about to give up, but he was supported and
sustained by the members of the committee and friends. Instead of giving up,
the struggle for the creation of Talugtug continued, and it was pursued rather
more vigorously.

C. The Inception of Talugtug

In the same year, the Municipality of Guimba generously endorsed the

petition to make Talugtug a municipality. The Municipalities of Cuyapo, Munoz
and Lupao disapproved the petition; the latter two wanted to have a plebiscite
to determine the will of the people. However, Governor Gabriel Belmonte and
Board Member Alfonso Faigal, convinced by the arguments and proofs of the
petitioners, saw that there was no need for the plebiscite. In Resolution No.
315, Series of 1947, the Provincial Board reiterated its approval of the petition
and recommended that the objections be disregarded. The Department of the
Interior dismissed the objections of the opposing Municipal Councils of Cuyapo,
Munoz, and Lupao as selfish and unimportant, and forwarded the petition to
the concerned national government departments and finally to the President of
the Republic of the Philippines. After formalities were observed and some
technicalities remedied, President Manuel A. Roxas signed Executive Order No.
113 creating Talugtug as the 26th municipality of the Province of Nueva Ecija.
Present in this historic event were Secretary Manuel Gallego and leaders of
Nueva Ecija like Governor Gabriel Belmonte, Jose Corpuz, Meliton Rigor,
Teodoro Santiago and Mayors Pastor Domingo, Anastacio Tobias, Gil Dizon,
Tomas Corpuz, and Dioscoro de Leon of Lupao, Munoz, Cuyapo and Gapan,
respectively.

The big celebration came on January 10, 1948 and the people of the
barrios all turned out to celebrate the birth of the municipality. Gracing the
occasion were Governor Chioco, Board Members Rigor and Lustre, together
with other officials of the Provincial Council. Also present were Major Camua
and Captain Fallaria.

Talugtug remained isolated until the Talugtug-Guimba Provincial Road

was completed and opened in 1955. With the inauguration of the said road, the
vital lifeline of the town resulted to reduced price of basic commodities and
raised the selling price of local products.

D. Six Gems in a Diadem Plus One

In the 72 years of existence of Talugtug as a political entity, seven men

got elected and took turns in ministering its affairs as a municipality. They are,
namely: Romualdo Mendoza Estillore, Mariano Carganilla Sapla, Nory Flores
Domingo, Bienvenido Andres Javier, Segundo Abundo Fronda, Quintino Soriano
Caspillo, Jr., and Pacifico Baldovino Monta. The first six men are described as
“Gems in a Diadem” in an unpublished manuscript authored by the late Manuel
Aliado, a former school principal.

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 These distinguished men spearheaded the transformation of Talugtug,
then a lowly mono-culture farming community, into a haven of peace and an
oasis of opportunity and prosperity.

1. Romualdo Mendoza Estillore (1948-1955)

Upon the creation of Talugtug as the 26th municipality of Nueva Ecija,

Romualdo Mendoza Estillore, the man who worked doubly hard for the
creation of Talugtug, and the acknowledged “Founding Father” was
appointed by no less than His Excellency, President Manuel A. Roxas, as
first mayor for 3 years (1948-1951).

Romualdo M. Estillore was born in Bauang, La Union. In search of

greener pasture, his family transferred to Capunay, Cuyapo in 1914 and
later to Nangabulan, where they were awarded homesteads to cultivate. He
studied elementary and high school in Cuyapo and Bauang. In 1928, after
completing stenography and typing lessons, he took and passed the Second
Grade Civil Service Examination. This gave him the opportunity to be
employed at the Bureau of Posts and Bureau of Audit in Manila. He also
took the First Grade Civil Service Examination in Cabanatuan City and was
the topnotcher in the entire Province of Nueva Ecija. As a working student,
he enrolled in evening classes and earned a Pre-Bachelor of Laws degree
from Lacson College in 1941 at the time World War II broke out.

In the first ever elections in the municipality in 1951, he ran for

mayor and was victorious. Thus, proving his mettle and worth. Talugtug
remained isolated until the Guimba-Talugtug Provincial Road was
inaugurated by Mayor Estillore in 1955.

Mayor Estillore did not achieve much in terms of infrastructure and

economic progress due to his administration’s pre-occupation with the
restoration of peace and order, which was a nationwide problem then.
Nevertheless, he was able to lay out the institutional framework of the
municipal government of Talugtug on which the succeeding generations of
municipal leaders would jumpstart their administrations.

Returning to public service after his second term as mayor, he was

hired as legal investigator, provincial jail warden and Court of First
Instance interpreter.

2. Mariano Carganilla Sapla (1955-1959; 1963-1967)

The second gem in the diadem to be elected mayor of Talugtug was

born in Meycaban, Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija. He completed his elementary and
secondary education in Cuyapo. The young Mariano worked as conductor
of Rural Transit that plied the Rosales-Cuyapo-Cabanatuan City and
Cabanatuan City-San Jose routes. He also ventured in a sugar plantation in
Guam, a territory of the United States of America, but did not stay long
their. His family returned to Patola when it was certain that Talugtug would
become a municipality.

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 Mariano C. Sapla was one of the men behind the creation of Christ the
King Institute of Agriculture in 1949 and the Rural Bank of Talugtug, Inc. In
1951, he ran for mayor against the architect of the Municipality of Talugtug,
Mayor Romualdo M. Estillore. He lost by only 7 votes to the incumbent
mayor. Losing the election did not discourage him, instead the loss served
as a challenge. He prepared very well in the elections in 1955 and won
overwhelmingly.

The first term of Mayor Sapla was controversy-ridden. Foremost of

the controversies he had to face were the claim of the heirs of Bernardo
Umipig on portions of the poblacion including the market site, the claim of
Federico Mendoza on some parts of the barrio site of Nangabulan, and the
claim of Florentino Pascual of the Rizalistas on the barrio site of Patola.

Mayor Sapla lost his re-election bid in 1959 to a political neophyte,

Nory Flores Domingo. Even then, Mayor Sapla continued to move around
and like a storm, he gained tremendous political strength. In a return bout
in 1964, he trounced his 1959 nemesis, Mayor Domingo. In his re-election
bid in 1967, he bowed to one of his former councilors, Bienvenido A. Javier.

The major accomplishments of Mayor Sapla focused on road

improvement, health, and education.

3. Nory Flores Domingo (1959-1963)

The youngest ever to be elected mayor of Talugtug was the

flamboyant Nory Flores Domingo. He was only 33 years old when he was
elected mayor.

Nory Domingo was born in Putol Mangga, Talugtug-Balite, Cuyapo,

Nueva Ecija. He finished his intermediate course at Guimba East Central
School, secondary education at Muñ oz Provincial High School, and
Elementary Teacher Certificate at Corregidor College in Guimba in 1950. He
was an incorporator of the Talugtug Union High School where he also
taught.

In 1959, Nory Domingo was elected to the highest executive position

of the Municipality of Talugtug. He ran under the banner of the Liberal
Party and had successfully countered the re-election bid of incumbent
Mayor Sapla of the Nationalista Party.

Four years later, Mayor Domingo had to face once again former Mayor
Sapla in a grudge match for the mayoralty race. This time, Mayor Domingo
bowed to the veteran and more seasoned challenger.

After his term as mayor, he was appointed by Governor Eduardo

Joson as Provincial Jail Warden, a position he held for one year. His
accomplishments as mayor concentrated on public safety and promotion of
general welfare.

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4. Bienvenido Andres Javier (1967-1986)

Bienvenido Andres Javier was born in Culong, Guimba. Nueva Ecija

and studied at the Guimba Central School and Nueva Ecija Institute. He
finished Elementary Teachers Certificate before the Second World War
broke out. After the war, he continued his studies and completed Bachelor
of Science in Education with major in History and minor in English at the
Corregidor College.

Mr. Javier was one of the pioneer instructors of Christ the King
Institute of Agriculture when it opened in 1950. Three years later, he was
appointed school principal, a position he held for 14 years. He forayed into
politics in 1955, when, while serving as school principal of CKIA, he was
elected municipal councilor. He was re-elected as councillor in 1959. In
1967, he resigned as school principal and ran for municipal mayor.

Mayor Javier holds the distinction of having the longest reign as

mayor of Talugtug. He was first elected in 1967 and re-elected for a 4-year
term in 1971. His second term was abruptly stopped with the declaration
of a state of Martial Rule on September 21, 1972. But Pres. Ferdinand E.
Marcos extended to 1983 the term of office of local executives including
that of Mayor Javier.

In the first elections after the lifting of Martial Law and the
restoration of the political right to vote and be voted upon, Mayor Javier
ran for mayor once more and won for a term that should have ended four
years later, but he was replaced like all other mayors in the entire country
by Pres. Corazon C. Aquino as the EDSA People’s Revolution ushered in a
new political order. This signalled the end of Mayor Javier’s 18-year reign.

The more notable accomplishments of Mayor Javier delved on the

promotion of public welfare, education, and incorporation of political
subdivisions at the barangay level.

5. Segundo Abundo Fronda (1986-1992)

Segundo Abundo Fronda was born in Barrio Pangit, now Barangay

Fronda, this municipality. He studied at the Guimba East Central School and
finished secondary education and earned Associate in Agricultural
Education from Central Luzon Agricultural School, now Central Luzon State
University. In 1963, he helped incorporate the Rural Bank of Talugtug in
collaboration with some affluent businessmen of Guimba and Talugtug. In
1978, he became member of Kiwanis Club and of the Knights of Columbus
Council No. 7731 in 1982. He was elected Grand Knight of K of C for two
consecutive Columbian Years, 1985 to 1987.

The political career of Segundo A. Fronda started in 1955 when he

was only 33 years old. During the first term of Mayor Sapla, he was elected
Member of the Municipal Council, garnering the second highest number of
votes.

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 Following the EDSA People’s Revolution, Segundo A. Fronda, the man
who best personifies the adage “Poverty is not a hindrance to success”, was
appointed by Pres. Corazon C. Aquino as Officer-in-Charge of the Office of
the Municipal Mayor for two years (1986-1988). His appointment as mayor
was solidly affirmed when he was elected mayor in the 1988 elections
against two mayoralty opponents, former Mayor Bienvenido A. Javier and a
young lawyer.

The major accomplishments of Mayor Fronda revolved around health

promotion. He was responsible in the construction of the Rural Health
Center. At the end of his term of office in 1992, he retired from public
service but continued as president and general manager of RBTI and
administrator of the Fronda estate.

6. Quintino Soriano Caspillo, Jr. (1992-2018)

A Civil Engineer by profession, Quintino Soriano Caspillo, Jr. is the 6th

man to be elected mayor of Talugtug. The sobriquet “Construction Czar” of
Talugtug could very well be assigned to him because of the sheer number of
construction projects he completed during his incumbency. As of date, his
accomplishments in infrastructure is unparalleled in the history of
Talugtug.

Quintino S. Caspillo earned his Civil Engineering degree from FEATI

University, Manila in 1973 and has a masters in Government Management
from Pamantasan ng Maynila, a crush course for local government
executives and other functionaries.

He was employed at the National Irrigation Administration-Cagayan

Irrigation System, NIA-UPRIIS in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, and NIA-Magat River
Multi-purpose Project in Isabela. He also did sub-contracting projects after
his brief work stints in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

When Corazon C. Aquino was installed as President of the Republic of

the Philippines in 1986 following the EDSA People’s Revolution, Engr.
Caspillo was appointed Member of the Sangguniang Bayan together with
Segundo A. Fronda, who was installed as mayor. In the first elections after
the EDSA People’s Revolution, he ran as Vice Mayor, in tandem with Mayor
Fronda, and won.

In 1992, he was elected as municipal mayor and was re-elected in

succession in 1995 and 1998. Following the culmination of Mayor Monta’s
third term, Mayor Caspillo ran again to recapture his lost glory as mayor.
He was re-elected in 2013 and 2016.

Sometime in the middle of his 2016-2019 term, he vacated his post,

which put his political reign to a sudden stop. This event left a dent on the
otherwise outstanding political career of Mayor Caspillo. Benjamin J. Gamit,
then Vice Mayor and chief second, automatically assumed the Office of the
Mayor of Talugtug by operation of law and served the remaining part of
Mayor Caspillo’s term.
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 The worthy accomplishments of Mayor Caspillo focused on the
promotion of peace and order, agricultural development, improvement of
education, upgrading of transportation and communication facilities,
environmental protection, cleanliness and greening, physical plant
improvement, infrastructure development, and general public welfare.

7. Pacifico Baldovino Monta (2001-2010)

The seventh man to be elected mayor of Talugtug is Pacifico

Baldovino Monta. He is a product of the public and private school systems.
He finished elementary at the Talugtug West Central School and high
school at Christ the King Academy, now Liceo de Christ the King, Inc. He
studied Bachelor of Science in Education at the University of the East in
Manila.

Before becoming municipal mayor, he was a Municipal Councilor in

1980-1983 and Sangguniang Bayan Member in 1983-1988 and 1992-1995.
Pacifico Monta was first elected municipal mayor in 2001. He was re-
elected twice in succession and he completed his three 3-year terms in
2010.

Mayor Monta’s most notable accomplishments are the concreting of

Talugtug-Guimba Provincial Road; construction of innumerable
gymnasiums in public schools, barangay health centers, and solar dryers;
electrification of several barangays; concreting of the Cinense-Sta. Catalina
farm-to-market road; and setting up and operationalization of the first
potable water system in the municipality (Talugtug Water District). His
administration also focused on education.

E. The Continuing Present

Hibernating, but never giving up his political connections, Pacifico Monta

continued to cultivate and enrich his grassroot moorings. He sprang back to
political life like the proverbial green grasses that instantly emerge after the
first rain in May. In the 2019 elections, he ran for mayor and got a fresh three-
year mandate by the will of the people and of God (vox populi vox die).

Mayor Monta is the man at the helm. He will provide a pro-active and
dynamic leadership that contributes to the realization of the vision of Talugtug
to become an “agro-industrial hub, eco-tourism destination, renewable energy
generator in an inclusive local economy with a healthy, well-educated and
productive residents living in a clean and peaceful environment, with
infrastructure integrity, disaster-resilient, climate change-adaptive, and well-
planned community”.

Ably lending the needed cooperation and support to the local chief
executive through the timely passage of necessary, responsive and effective
legislation is the 10-member Sangguniang Bayan led by its dynamic and
youthful presiding chair, Vice Mayor Floro C. Pagaduan, Jr.

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