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Did you know that...?

 

Santa Barbara has a rich cultural past that its people can be proud of. One can behold in awe the town’s natural beauties for she is like a tourist paradise, dotted with scenic landmarks and replete with historic places. Known far and wide, Santa Barbara has contributed colorful and meaningful pages in our national history. She is famous not only for being a historic municipality but also as a sport-oriented community. Santa Barbara, the town “where football is”. Located in the central plains of the province, approximately 16 kilometers away from the city, Santa Barbara boasts of her friendly, educated and hospitable people. And perhaps, this is the only town in the province which has a record of so many “first” and “bests”…

 


Manhayang, a humble barangay in Santa Barbara was the setting poignantly described in the novel entitled “Without Seeing the Dawn”. This story which tells about the life during World War II was written by Stevan Javellana, the only Ilonggo and Filipino novelist of international standing. Javellana, through this novel, was accepted as a member of the Eugene Field Society, an exclusive literary club. A novel translated into 21 languages and was made into a TV series entitled "Malayo Pa Ang Umaga" in the early 1980s, it was also written in that small yet widely known barrio called Manhayang.

 

Javellana's book


As a sports-oriented community, Santa Barbara had produced the fastest woman in Asia during the 50s in the person of Inocencia Solis. She was named “Athlete of the Year” when she won the 100-meter dash category during the Third Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan on May 1958. In Philippine sports, Solis was already considered a national figure having set a national record in 200-meter dash. This Santa Barbaranhon sprinter was also a PRISAA national champion in Pampanga and earned the same in the national open in 1953. Inocencia Solis had also participated in the 2nd Asian Games in Manila last 1954 and 4th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1958, garnering golds in her event.

Inocencia Solis


Known as the “Grand Old Man” of Santa Barbara, the late Cornelio S. Quidato witnessed three historic flag raising rites in this town. When he was seven years old, he saw the Philippines flag the first time it rose to the skies of Western Visayas on November 17, 1898 at the town’s plaza raised by Gen. Martin T. Delgado. While on October 13, 1943, Quidato himself as a Municipal Mayor raised the Philippine flag on the occasion of granting by Japan of Independence to the Philippine during the war. And for the third time, he raised the Philippine flag himself as the head of the municipality during the proclamation of the Philippine Independence from the United States on July 4, 1946.

Cornelio Quidato


 

The first West Visayas Police General is Brig. Gen. Arcadio Lozada of Santa Barbara. He is the son of the late Felipe Lozada. Gen. Lozada is married to Lilia Sumaylo with whom he has six children, all are professionals now. Before he became a police general, he studied at the Santa Barbara Central School after which he enrolled at the Iloilo School of Arts and Trade where he was a senior student when the war broke out. For his military services, he had received many awards and decorations topped by a Presidential Award, Civil Service Award and INP Distinguished Service Medal.

 


The composer of the mass song “A La Virgen” which is usually sang during the town fiesta was Don Posidio Delgado. Born on May 17, 1865, Posidio was the third child of Don Jacinto Delgado and Doña Gabriela Merlo Bermejo and the brother of Gen. Martin Delgado and Placida Delgado Solinap. Aside from being a good musician, he was also a very religious man. In fact, most of the compositions were religious offerings. Concert on the plaza by the world renowned Maestro Delgado was held during pre-war era.

Posidio Delgado


 

Santa Barbara became the site of the First Area Marketing Cooperative, Inc. located at Brgy. Bolong. It was established in 1975 by the Samahang Nayon members of eleven neighboring towns including Iloilo City. One of the most viable among the 43 AMCs in the country, this cooperative is concerned with the marketing of palay, rice, corn and other farm products. It also extends warehousing of farm products, trucking services and milling. It also sells chemicals and fertilizers to the farmers.

 


The Visayas Seed Farm in Bangga Dama, where eggplants are grown, is the site of the Iloilo experiment station of the Bureau of Plant Industry. It is the birthplace of the BPI 76 rice variety.

White Eggplants


 

Cabugao Norte, Santa Barbara was chosen as a pilot barrio in 1970 for agriculture by the Provincial Development Council and Atty. Alex G. Umadhay was made the provincial program coordinator.

 


 

It is in agricultural revolution where the town really sets the pace when 125 bonafide farmers created Santa Barbara Facoma Inc. on February 27, 1956 in order to strengthen their individual members on the aspects of farming and marketing their product. A few years after the organization, Facoma was adjudged the "Best Facoma" in the Philippines. Jun Sumagaysay was named the "Best Facoma Manager". Until now, it still stands stable and strong when most of its contemporaries in the country failed.

 


 

Mainly because of the success of the Cabugao Norte venture and the Facoma, other agricultural programs have been attracted to the town. One of this is the KABSAKA Project located in Brgy. Tigtig Canipayan and Calaboa Este. Considered as the first KABSAKA in the country, it became successful and has gained prominence all over the nation.

 


Santa Barbara is a place of intellectuals and good leaders. It has produced a unique elementary school alumni association -- the class 1938 of the Santa Barbara Elementary School. Perhaps their most remarkable contribution in the town was the establishment of the Cry of Santa Barbara Marker at the junction of Gen. Martin T. Delgado and Merlo Streets. This historical marker was inaugurated on December 2, 1952. Under the leadership of their president, Gen. Arcadio S. Lozada, the class of 1938 was also responsible for the construction of Lanag Primary School Building and the Children’s Playground complete with facilities. They also set-up scholarship program and printed thousands of copies of “The Angelus” leaflets.


 

Santa Barbara was the seat of the community school movement in the Philippines which was spearheaded by Supt. Jose V. Aguilar in 1948 and the education center for Western Visayas is located at the Santa Barbara Elementary School.

 


 

Being known as one of the oldest institution in this town during the American time, Santa Barbara Central Elementary School has been chosen as one of the best schools in the province for it has contributed a lot in the progress and development of the community.

 


In order to meet the needs of the faithful, the Santa Barbara Catholic Cemetery was constructed in 1845 at Sitio Anggasan, Barangay Duyanduyan. Its facade is one of the strongest structures built during the Spanish time that has survived the earthquakes.

Santa Barbara Cemetery


 

Because of its panoramic location and rolling verdant hills, Cadagmayan Norte of Santa Barbara was chosen as the ideal place for the 8th Boy Scout of the Philippines National Jamboree -- the first in Iloilo and in Western Visayas. Thousands of boy scouts, guests, visitors and dignitaries mushroomed all over the place for the whole week. It has also been the site of the camel motorcross competition twice, and has drawn a large number of crowds despite the distance and lack of regular transportation.

 


 

The first subdivision in Santa Barbara is the Villa Francisca Phase 1 and 2 located in Brgy. Bolong Oeste. This is the project of Santa Barbara Agro-Industrial Development Corporation headed by its president and general manager, Herminio L. Maravilla. This makes a very prime choice for people wishing to move away from the busy city of Iloilo.

 


 

The site of the training ground of the officers of the Armed Forces in Panay is Camp Sumagaysay at San Sebastian, Santa Barbara. This is the former headquarters of the Philippines Constabulary.

 


 

Looking back to the pages of history, Santa Barbara is not only the cradle of revolution but certainly the resting ground of the new ideas. She has produced great leaders in the various fields of endeavor like agricultural, medicine, military, law and others. At this time of constant “memory lapses”, it is always refreshing to bring back to one’s memory those who have selflessly risked to set another pace, another trend in the town's history. Eventually, they have succeeded in their profession and became Santa Barbara’s first. However, she boasts not only of her outstanding but landmarks too, which add color and charm to her alluring beauty…

 


The greatest military general of Western Visayas was also the first civil governor of the Province of Iloilo. He was Gen. Martin Teofilo Delgado, the second child of Jacinto and Gabriela Bermejo of Santa Barbara. When the civil government under the Americans was established in Iloilo on April 11, 1901, tan Martin, as he was fondly called was named the first provincial governor in the first election held in 1903.

Martin Delgado


 

The famous Atanacio Ampig was the first Santa Barbaranhon to become a full-fledged lawyer. He was also a delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention. He died during World War II.

 


 

Santa Barbara’s  first internationally acclaimed runner was Asia’s marathon king -- Jimmy de la Torre.

 


 

Manuel Umadhay, the eldest son of Segundina Delgado Solinap and Procopio Umadhay, was the first doctor from Santa Barbara. He also served as Provincial Health Officer of Iloilo.

 


 

The first surveyor in Santa Barbara was Geodetic Engineer Roman Sirilan.

 


 

Brig. Gen. Julio Umadhay Sr. together with Brig. Gen. Luis Delgado were the first Santa Barbaranhons to enter the Constabulary Academy in Baguio, presently called the Philippine Military Academy.

 


 

Maria Solinap Sirilan, the most beautiful woman during her time, was Santa Barbara’s first known Reina Elena.

 


Known as the “Grand Old Man”, the late Cornelio S. Quidato was the first supervising teacher and dynamic PTA president of Santa Barbara High School, now the Santa Barbara National Comprehensive High school.

Cornelio Quidato


Active leader Juan Somocierra was Santa Barbara’s first mayor.

Juan Somocierra


Excellent writer Custodio Sucaldito, the son of the late couple Jose and Maria Sucaldito, was the first editor of The Lowland Breeze which is also the first school paper of Santa Barbara High School.


 

The late Winceslao Sison was the first Santa Barbaranhon who became principal of Santa Barbara Regional High school.

 


 

The first woman nurse of Santa Barbara was Ms. Socorro Sirilan, dean of the Manila Central University's College of Nursing from 1951 to 1953.

 


Santa Barbara is known nationwide for it is the town where football is. It has produced the first “Mr. Football” – the late Julio G. Umadhay Jr., of the Philippine Navy.

 


 

Rufino Sobrevega is the very first and famous "manugbibingka" Santa Barbara has ever produced. In this town, he is well remembered as the "Bingka King".

 


 

Felino Espinosa was the first municipal treasurer of Santa Barbara.

 


 

Santa Barbara's first postmaster was Jose Sorsa.

 


 

Erected in 1926, the irrigation dam located at Brgy. Tungay is the first gravity irrigation dam in Iloilo. It serves as water supplier of rice fields in Barangay Miraga, Agutayan-Lupa, Lanag, and Cabugao as well as other barangays in Pavia and Leganes, Iloilo.

 


 

The Bliss Project situated at Balibagan Este, Santa Barbara was the first Bagong Lipunan Improvement on Sites and Services in the whole Visayas.

 


Santa Barbara is the site of the oldest golf course in Asia. Known as the Iloilo Golf and Country Club, it was founded in 1907 at Barangay San Sebastian by 13 Scots who worked at the Philippine Railways then.

The original club house,

circa 1930


 

The Provincial Revolutionary Government of the Visayas was organized and inaugurated at the town plaza of Santa Barbara and on the same occasion, a large crowd of people gathered to witness the most historic occasion, the Filipino flag was raised to fly for the first time in the whole Visayas and Mindanao led by Gen. Martin T. Delgado. That annually remembered event is called "Cry of Santa Barbara".

 


 

Santa Barbara was the first to revolt against an ancient stigma and belief when she accepted her role to host the Western Visayas Sanitarium for Hansenites.

 


 

Kabuhi sang Banwa was the town’s first religious community paper. It was published by the Parish of Santa Barbara in 1920 and was edited by Msgr. Gabriel M. Reyes.

 

 

Copyright © 2002 Municipal Government of Santa Barbara